when I say "Shakespeare?" What comes to mind
when I mention the "water wheel?"
Both were born in the 16th century.
Both advanced
Elizabethan culture in profound ways. One wrote
"Romeo & Juliet."
That's the difference between platform and art.
Technology and story
Technology can bring you stuff (like water and
Facebook posts). Story can change your idea of the
stuff you want brought to you.
The technology platforms Rally uses to "bring stuff"
to consumers on behalf of our clients have familiar
names: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram,
Snapchat, Tumblr, etc.
We're experts at integrating these platforms and we
don't mind saying so. They help ensure our
campaigns are as effective as possible.
As storytellers, we feel lucky to have them.
But we also have our eyes wide open and believe you
should, too:
Someday, Facebook will fade (or morph into
something far different than its current form).
At least one of the social media platforms I've
mentioned is destined to become a relic (I don't know
which one but I'm sure I'll refer to it fondly from time
to time).
Many of the digital and social platforms we can't
think of living without will likely meet the same fate
as Second Life and Friendster.
It comes down to history, really
As humans, we often don't remember how the things
that impact us are delivered. We don't think very
much about the platforms on which they arrive.
We do remember – and value – how things make us
feel, stories, in particular.
Story is what engages us. "When I saw you I fell in
love, and you smiled because you knew."
Story stays with us. "This above all; to thine own self
be true."
Story makes us smile. "I would challenge you to a
battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed."
When a platform is no longer the best way to
experience the stories that fuel our desires – I'm
talking to you Betamax; I mean VHS; I mean DVD –
we move onto whatever platform is next.
It's really no big deal
In fact, most of us (as marketers and as consumers)
judge a platform by how well it performs three key
functions: delivering stories we desire; when and
where we desire them; in the form that's easiest to
enjoy and share.
As Shakespeare liked to say, "The play's the thing!"
He never said, "The stage (or the platform) is the
thing!"
That's why today's major technology and social media
enterprises – Apple and Amazon and Facebook and
Google – are in the throes of a hiring frenzy. Not just
for developers and coders, but for art directors and
writers and strategists and storytellers.
That's why Facebook, the behemoth that once cajoled
marketers into adopting "more useful metrics" such
as "likes" and "engagement," has unapologetically
tossed its old playbook.
In fact, Facebook now extols its virtues as a
"storytelling medium" and an "awareness" play.
Hey, who can blame them?
Do they want to eventually "disintermediate" their
agency "partners" and work directly with brands? Of
course they do. But that's an article for another time.
What they are doing now is acknowledging that the
moment they become less than the best at delivering
what people desire – relevant ideas and stories
created by those who know how to create relevant
ideas and stories – that's the moment their value
disappears. And, in many cases, their business
(sorry, Meerkat).
Sure, many of these companies have market
capitalizations that surpass the GDP of small
countries. So, if you're inclined to judge your digital
and social media marketing platforms by how
wealthy they're making company founders and Wall
Street advisors then, my apologies, this article has
been a waste of your time.
If, on the other hand, you prefer to evaluate these
platforms by how successful they are at getting
people on Main Street to buy your frozen dinners or
purchase your handbags or visit your chain of
restaurants, you'll want to make sure you delve more
deeply into just how well they can deliver the most
powerful, compelling, enduring, and memorable
deliverable any platform can deliver.
As Shakespeare put it: "It's not in the stars to hold
our destiny, but ourselves."
I'll see you and your story down the road – on
whatever platform comes next.
Source: punchng.com
No comments:
Post a Comment