Dow continues to plummet, the bank's wouldn't let you borrow a pen, budget's of all kinds are cut but you know what, there's upside to all of this.Here are 3.
The ad industry luminaries are going to have to roll up there sleaves and do some real work. Everyday hard-working smart people hustle, think, and sweat to bring marketing campaigns to life through complex bureaucracies only to unfairly read some luminary (that hasn't executed anything in years) snipe at them from their blog for not living up to some myopic tactical ideal. Later for that. Job descriptions of "I go to conferences, blog and Twitter" are going bye-bye. Some will roll up their sleeves, serve their clients and push the industry forward with action rather than opinion. The others will go back into the family business, or start selling something. "I used to be the Mobile Evangelist for ZebraZoo, and I can tell you, your clients need to advertise on calling cards!" Enjoy kicking them out of your office.
New digital media opportunities will be made available. Anyone hear this before the burst bubble burst. "You will NEVER buy an ad on the front page of Yahoo". I did. Now, for a price, I can turn it into a carnival. I know many luminaries hate this because its "intrusive". And to that I would quote Hyman Roth
We're in advertising. Sometimes we have to intrude on people to sell our products. I understand all the benefits of conversation. Engagement is a growing piece of what we do, but sometimes people need to be interrupted to learn that people buying a Toyota will be saved by 0% APR's and Subway sandwiches has some excellent $5 footlong options. Its not sacrilege to embrace that side our business. So let's see digital opportunities that are little less small and out of the way and might actually disrupt and impact people.
We will finally stop having to play pattycake with Millenial employees. I know I'm not the only one to notice this latest round of kids out of school that have known nothing but growth and 15% annual raises and complaints about working late. (not the ones that work for me, those are the best millenials alive, no joke) I've been saying for a while, these other kids need a little recession to whack them in line and recognize that this is the time in their career to work their asses off, learn their craft, and be reliable. To them I quote Judge Smails.
So yes I've quoted Hyman Roth and Judge Smails. Not the most beloved characters of American Pop Culture. I've praised interruption and minimized conversation and engagement. You may think I am the oldest, orneriest 31 year old in the world. Read the rest of this blog, you'll see I understand the value of conversational marketing, giving high level opinions, and even youth culture. But momentum usually carries popular ideas past rationale ones. Alot of digital marketers need to understand the historically successful ways of marketing products and the younger generation needs someone old fashioned humble pie.
Maybe its somewhere in the middle of these high minded new ideals and an old school approach that will sell the most stuff for my clients. And if it takes a recession to realign the talented people that work in marketing to achieve more success and become more valuable to their employers and patrons, so be it. Hopefully it will make us all richer in the long run.
