Marketing for a brave new world

While you are reading this article, the web is changing. And it will have changed again by this time tomorrow. The web is a powerfully dynamic phenomenon. While some saw the burst of the dot-com bubble in 2001 as evidence that the web was drastically over-rated, the shakeout has been in fact a re-definition and re-shaping of what the web really means. To quote Tim O'Reilly "the web [is] more important than ever, with exciting new applications and sites popping up with surprising regularity." (What Is Web 2.0:Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software) by Tim O'Reilly 09/30/2005.
In fact, the web is constantly evolving, changing. And with it, so are we. The way we connect, we learn, we buy and sell, even the way we define who we are is evolving exponentially. It's not just that the old rules don't apply. There are no rules. It's not about 'thinking outside the box'. It's about continually re-defining how the box is made and how freely we can move in and out of it.
So my friends, we are the brave new world of web-connected opportunity. All of us. And one of the most exciting features of this new world is the empowerment of the individual to a level that is unprecedented. Not only do we have access on a global scale, we have an equal opportunity to invest in this world and shape it as it continues to grow.
For those who claim to know more about how to communicate and advertise in this world, we are only fellow passengers who remember passing this way before, but never at this speed and never when even the least experienced can quickly learn to navigate the mother ship we have boarded.

While we are making this journey, ALCOM represents a gathering of fellow passengers whose charge is the offering of assistance and instruction. We are here to help you chart your own path. We focus our knowledge and resources upon your growth objectives. We look forward to making your acquaintance. Happy travels.

Your Message In 30 Seconds Or Less

“Everybody experiences far more than he understands. Yet it is experience, rather than understanding, that influences behavior.”

Marshall McLuhan 1911-1980 Communications theorist

We live in a time when all of us are inundated with information on a daily basis at a rate that is unparalleled in history. In addition, all of us are “time poor”. More than ever, we are faced with managing personal, family, business, civic and religious activities, each of which are equally demanding.

For all of us, it means that in our communication with one another, we must be increasingly efficient, effective, and accurate. Our respective audience is unlikely to have much patience with us if we cannot get our point across within a short period of time. Likewise, we must be careful to use language that our audience easily comprehends in the manner we intend it to be understood. We must take into account the language of the day, of the sub-culture, even the individual group we are speaking to. If we are to be clearly understood, we must be concise, consistent, simple and direct.

Here are ten rules of communication that will help us in this endeavor*

1. Speak in simple terms avoiding big words when a small one will do.
2. Be brief. Use short sentences. Aim for thirty seconds or less.
3. Demonstrate credibility about your subject.
4. Be consistent in your message.
5. Offer a novel way of thinking about an old idea.
6. Observe the sound, tempo and texture of your voice.
7. Inspire others with your aspiration to deliver on a promise.
8. Use vivid words to help your audience visualize.
9. Ask questions more than giving answers.
10. Provide context. Explain why your message is important at the moment.

*adapted from “Words That Work” by Dr. Frank Luntz, 2007