Why is it that the people that seem to have the best handle on the new media, are the same ones that have been doing the old media (print/TV/radio/collateral stuff) since we were ordering type from Hal Leader and running it through the waxer. There has to be some value in having gone through all the transitions, typewriter to computer, tissue layouts to adobe illustrator, dial-up to WIFI.
I had an out-of-town client that hired a Director of Social Media. I’ll call him “J.” “J” knew every aspect of Twitter, Pintrest, Tumblr, Google Analytics, etc. He had it all nailed down. He could set ‘em up, connect to the cloud, measure, track and deliver it all in every color and shape. Even had a really cool car and actually wore sunglasses in the office. This was the guy they had been waiting for. They fired “J” five months later.
What “J” couldn’t seem to get a hold of was: message content; identifying the audience; defining needs and hitting the hot buttons. All the stuff we’ve been doing since Ogilvy. It may take them a little longer, but I’ve noticed that when it actually comes to delivering a tangible result, something you can bill for, experience born of traveling through the transitions, works. I’m not saying that the new guys can’t get it done. Just don’t turn ‘em loose by themselves.
Recent Comments