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RSSThis came while deep in conversation over dinner with a few people from our industry. The company included Joe Dumont of Questus, who confirmed that he is 100% "buzzword-compliant"! He said it completely as a joke and to make light of a recent situation -- but in the context of the joke, I saw an element of truth that lines our industry and continues to make it difficult for us to scale our business. The issue is that we are still trying to redefine what we do in terms that no one other than those people raised and trained in our industry will possibly understand. We refuse to accept the fundamentals of what's been done before as effective, and we constantly look for ways to prove that we're different, possibly superior, and definitely more complex.
I like the fundamentals. I like to make things simple. One of my business partners has the unmistakable skill to digest down the most complex challenges facing clients and spit out the simple truths and facts of their situations, thereby allowing us to build an effective strategy for them. This is a skill I wish I could replicate and give to every person in any form of marketing services, whether they are agencies or sales groups or any other type of company. We make things too complex in order to justify our own existence, as if a simple problem would not be an adequate challenge.
I disagree with that idea immediately. The most effective strategies I've seen are the simplest. Think of Starbucks in its heyday of trying to provide the '"third place" for people (vs. home and work). Think back to the simple idea of Nike and "just do it" and showing athletes as our role models. Effectiveness comes from being able to understand a complex issue and provide a simple solution. A simple solution can be messaged in many ways, conveying the emotional and practical components of a solution, influencing a customer. You hear about the "Big Idea" all the time, but the "Big Idea" is really just a simple solution to a complex problem.
The fundamentals of Marketing 101 get overlooked in our industry. So my epiphany is that while we certainly need to spend time to be "buzzword-compliant," I would also ask that you spend time training your teams to find that nugget of truth that can make a complex problem a simple one. Tap into the creativity of your teams and try to find the simple solutions and apply the fundamentals of marketing that tend to get overlooked. If that happens, then I guarantee that your business will scale and get more efficient over the coming year or two.
Of course there are some buzzwords that we all have to learn and use. They aren't going away because some guy who writes a weekly column says they should. Besides, what would I do without the ability to hypothesize about the tools of engagement that can monetize my platform for customer synchronization, right? I mean, without that, how could I possibly automate the optimization of my behavioral targeting methodology or expand the customization engine with which it meets my ROI?
Or something like that.
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Here's the definition: http://www.lucidmedia.com/blog/
Christopher Weiss Director of Marketing, LucidMedia
What I find fascinating, having both a digital and traditional media background is how many of the things done online have offline roots. But because the web version of the idea has a buzzword, it is perceived as new and innovating. For instance, "direct response" and "affiliate marketing" are roughly the same concepts.
I tell my offline media eople that the web is not that complicated. All you have to do is learn the words, and then you find out it functions poretty much the same way. There are a couple twists and turns, but beyond that, planning and buying media on the web is NOT rocket science.
One day, all these single-medium planners will come to the same realization.
Gen. Patton once said (well, something like this): those who make work more complex than it need be, do so to glorify themselves. This is true. Simplicity is a substance that is frequently overlooked, particularly in media.
I have a friend who told me media is a business that was designed by A students to be run by C students. I would agree with him, particularly when I consider how prevalent buzzwords are within the industry. C students need to feel important, so they toss around a few words they are unfamiliar with, but think they understand, and voila - they're "in" on the latest and greatest ideas!
I am a fan of Occam's Razor - entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity. Or, more commonly, All things being equal, the simplest solution is the best. Even Occam's Razor has become a buzzword of sorts.
I always find your column enlightening!
Let's say you meet someone new. You think he's full of crap, but you're not sure exactly HOW full. Since the human body is not transparent, how can you tell?
Just listen for the buzzwords. 90% buzzwords, 10% plain English? He's 90% full of crap. Simple!
Good column: it passed completely thorough my BS... I mean Buzz Word detector.
Now, shall we all agree to speak like humans, as you just did, Cory?
Well said and simply stated! Your epiphany reminds us that inner core values remain unchanged despite a constantly changing outwardly world-- even in the marketing universe. Truth, integrity and our commitment to understanding and helping others are the fundamental "buzzwords" for achieving success of any kind. Thanks.
Once, as a TV Broadcast Ops person for a local PBS station, I was sent to a Network Programing day-long workshop, along with the Traffic Facilities Mgr. What the Program Director though she was sending us to was a TV Network Programming session, turned out to be a computer based presentation of CPM (Critical Path Method) and PERT (Program Evaluation & Review Technique).
While the Traffic Facilities Mgr thought it was a complete waste of time, I was wondering why ALL of our management staff from engineering and production, to membership, news & the executive suite, weren't here. To say the least, it opened my eyes on project planning and management, and I still use many of the ideas today to evaluate and break down complicated jobs into manageable tasks.
Guess it depends on your perspective and knowing when new and unexpected knowledge comes your way, to accept it as a the gift that is truly is.
Have a delightful day!