Commentary

An Agreement On The New Year

Unsure if this will surprise you, but I have never been one for New Year's resolutions. At least not in the classical sense: marking sins to rectify, wrongs to atone, goals to draft, and thresholds to bump up -- with New Year's Eve standing vigil.

My spirit on resolution is particular to my general ethos. I devote myself to living life in all its facets to the fullest: eschewing workaholism; driving hearty contribution and livelihood; giving meaningfully; keeping healthy; loving big; taking risks and just generally embracing joie de vivre, even when the day gets dark. New Year's is not the point in time for my setting discrete milestones. It is during this time of year that I reflect on the tone of the past year and renew my commitment to the journey in the open time ahead. And I chart a course -- without finish.

'09 - But First, Some Scene-Setting

This holiday season has been unique. In a word, Christmas was a catastrophe. I fell while trail-running in the woods on Christmas and had wrist surgery that only Lindsay Wagner would envy. Metal plate, splints, casts, and painkiller smoothies -- the whole deal. As I pacified myself, I heard myself telling a friend, "Well, we all need at least one major scar from doing something we absolutely love."

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Flash-forward to this weekend, back in New York. As I nested and prepared to launch 2009, and figure out how to run my life for the next little while, I decided to rewatch the movie "Darjeeling Limited."

Channeling Owen Wilson again as train-bound sibling Francis, in his swaddling bandage headdress, as I think about '09 in media, I say: "Let's make an agreement."

First: Let's get beyond stats on the markets that clearly have come to matter. While the shifting economy begs for banter on slithering spend allocations, let's devote time to really understanding developing markets. Video comes to mind: video advertising and the scope of the possible, the network opportunity, content production caliber and distribution models all need to be better understood by us all. Our teams and clients will benefit from a deepened point of view on various sub-markets, with video being only one. I say we foster and pursue that depth rather than dish flat un-dissected stats, at every turn.

Next: Let's agree that we don't have to care about everything. It is a complex galaxy, this media space. Let's therefore personally agree -- with little wins everyday -- to advance the disciplines we touch. Just the ones we touch. Client services your bailiwick? Do something to make it better wherever you are. Just one tangible thing. Social media programming your new focus? Bring back a handful of real case studies on previously untold stories to your teams - this quarter.

This one might feel scary, but... let's mix up our media consumption. It's a converging world. Or so we say. Sure, we are avid consumers and downright dexterous. But are we certain our media habits are not starting to calcify? Switch up your RSS feeds. Nix a magazine or two for a new set. Revamp your DVR list. Install a Slingbox. Subscribe to a major metro newspaper outside your political bent. Attend more live events with commentators you dig. How much video and podcasting is on your device of choice?

This brings me to my next point: Listen to new people. Can we do that? Please? I believe we can. We all have our confidants and sages -- our columnists, sidekicks, mentors and cliques. Well, how about this? Read new writers. Stop by offices you've never visited to ask for insight. Hang out with new friends at conferences. Engage with the strong silent types at meetings who may have previously been too easy to ignore. I promise the alphas will be OK. Cast your tweets to the wind, or to a whole new crew -- you know what to do.

Last up: our core work. Ideally, we all love what we do and do what we love. So, in these times when we are all so focused on staying engaged, efficient, profitable and wise -- when we may have to make some sacrifices -- I say we all make an agreement that, each and every day, we are doing one core thing that makes us thrive. It can be small or big. But -- one core thing. Everyday. Agreed?

3 comments about "An Agreement On The New Year ".
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  1. Bill Caspare from OggiFinogi, INC, January 5, 2009 at 12:12 p.m.

    developing markets such as branded video as it relates to ad spend allocations may turn out to be one of the highlights of 09 and contrary to much of the doom and gloom in plunging budgets. We're seeing brands becoming part of the story line in video content and in some instances the video content is wrapping itself around brand. New dynamic ad formats that foster brand and interactivity with new platform technology, media scale and reporting will become relevant, especially in this market climate to advance brand. Nice article, happy new year to all

  2. Catherine Ventura from @catherinventura, January 5, 2009 at 12:32 p.m.

    Great post, Kendall! Especially "listening to new people". I do, however, plan to continue listening to you!

  3. Josh Mchugh from Attention Span Media, January 5, 2009 at 1:42 p.m.

    Sage advice, and well said.

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