| THE MORE THINGS CHANGE: OLD BOTTLES NEW | | | | George Orwell |
| WINE | | | | New media really means new ways of |
| While watching the 2007 edition of that | | | | delivering information and sales |
| great American excuse for a food-fest, | | | | messages but the fundamental paradigm |
| the Super Bowl, I was reminded of a bowl | | | | hasn't changed, it is still the "old |
| telecast moment from twenty three years | | | | wine" of investment, revenue, profits |
| ago. During the 1984 SuperBowl | | | | and losses. Yes you do need to be |
| broadcast, a landmark TV commercial | | | | digital and your messages have to |
| aired for Apple Computer to announce | | | | fascinate, inspire and educate those who |
| their newest paradigm altering creation, | | | | you want to influence, the same |
| the McIntosh line of computers. In the | | | | requirements for success as in 1907. |
| intervening years that spot which | | | | They have to make an emotional |
| spoofed the "big brother" aspects of | | | | connection with a consumer who is free |
| George Orwell's novel "1984" has been | | | | to purchase your offering. Though the |
| hailed as one of the most brilliant | | | | very first ad-marketing messages may |
| commercials ever. Many people remember | | | | have been painted on cave walls, we can |
| the imagery but I find the words | | | | easily track the more recent timeline |
| interesting. "Today we celebrate the | | | | for newspaper, telephone, radio, TV and |
| first glorious anniversary of the | | | | now the internet. It is true that the |
| Information Purification Directives. We | | | | popular pathway for your message to |
| have created, for the first time in all | | | | reach its target seems to be reinvented |
| history, a garden of pure ideology where | | | | about every fifty years! Most likely the |
| each worker may bloom secure from the | | | | Internet is the new standard that will |
| pests of contradictory and confusing | | | | be supported by all the other forms of |
| truths." I'd call that amusing and | | | | traditional media. |
| confusing double speak. | | | | There are some ideas so wrong that only |
| Seeing those words on paper now reminds | | | | a very intelligent person could believe |
| me that they were just as confusing as a | | | | in them. |
| lot of what we hear today regarding "new | | | | George Orwell |
| media", "legacy operations" and "the | | | | So, don't be intimidated by the new |
| shifting business landscape." To most of | | | | jargon that you don't yet fully |
| this I say that it is a case of talking | | | | understand or by the young guru that |
| enthusiastically about the shiny new | | | | tells you that everything about the way |
| bottles but what they must hold is old | | | | you do business must change before the |
| wine. Sure, people are getting their | | | | end of the year if you are to survive! |
| news in different ways, web sites are | | | | Yes, your content must be well thought |
| proliferating like mushrooms after the | | | | out and match the new delivery systems. |
| rain and many of us feel we are drowning | | | | Of course clever ideas, showmanship and |
| in new technical device overload. One | | | | creativity will help separate you from |
| hundred and twenty five years ago the | | | | the plodding crowd. The human yearning |
| transformative technology was the | | | | for having dreams fueled, for tribal |
| telephone and fifty-five years ago, it | | | | inclusiveness, and survival haven't |
| was television. In fact many pundits | | | | really changed since flint was a high |
| predicted that TV would kill off radio | | | | tech tool. No matter what the bottle |
| and the movies. | | | | looks like, the rules for making great |
| Each generation imagines itself to be | | | | wine haven't changed. |
| more intelligent than the one that went | | | | Nelson Davis |
| before it, and wiser than the one that | | | | Multi-Emmy Award Winning Executive |
| comes after it. | | | | Producer, Making It! |