What’s The “Real” Story?

Have you ever stopped to think about all the changes we’ve experienced these past 4-5 years? Of course, the economy has changed dramatically but there’s way more than that to think about – we just drift there because it’s easy, obvious and provides great excuses for anything we need.

Think about all the things you do each week that you did differently just 4-5 years ago. Do you:

• Bank on line now?
• Pay bills on line now?
• Text or receive emails on your phone now?
• Watch your favorite television shows when you want to watch them rather than when the networks tell you to (DVR/Tivo)?
• Listen to your favorite music on your own device like an iPod?
• Watch videos on YouTube that were uploaded by a friend or, for that matter, someone you will never actually meet in real life?
• Have a page on facebook where you are connecting with family and friends as well as people you haven’t seen or heard from in years?
• Tweet?!

You probably did none of these just 4-5 short years ago! You could very possibly be only starting to do some of these now. The digital space has captured us all to some degree – some more than others.

What are you no longer doing? Do you spend as much time reading a newspaper or listening to a radio or getting your news from your local TV station at 11P (10p Central!)? Probably not. You are probably spending more time gathering information in a variety of other ways and you are no different here from anyone else. And advertisers wonder why media plans that aren’t very old at all aren’t working?! Look how we have changed and continue to change and the changes keep happening fast!

What has really changed is we are in control. We decide how we will respond to all the technology available. We decide what music we listen to and when, what we watch on TV and when, how we will pay our bills (the US Postal Service still exists!) and we decide how we want to be connected through our mobile phones.

Most important, we decide who we will connect with, who we will listen to, how we will connect and when. It is those connections that matter if you are a business. The consumer will decide – you can’t force the consumer by dictating through fancy media campaigns any more. Advertising agencies, marketers, non-profits take note: Consumers will connect with each other and tell the “real” story for you. It is up to you to make sure the “real” story is worth telling and the one you want told! That is the best media plan today!