Remember a few months ago I wrote about the lessons I’d learnt regarding a presentation I wrote called ‘How To Be A Bitch’?
Well if you do, that’s more than I did.
So I’m about to go to Sydney to talk at the NINEMSN Digital Summit and as part of that, I was asked to speak to a journalist about my presentation.
Me being me, I was happy to talk about how I’ve seen some digital marketing that is – in my mind – developed for the wrong reasons or for the wrong purposes … however when I saw the article in print, I was shocked to see that it basically took my comments and made me sound like I was questioning the validity of the whole digital medium, let alone digital marketing.
Now while my presentation will allow me to put that right on Wednesday, the fact is that article will last a lifetime and without context, it would be easy to get a completely inaccurate view of what I am saying and what I believe and that bothers me.
Bothers me a lot.
Not because I work for a company that proudly and passionately believes in the power of digital.
Nor because a digital company has kindly decided to fly me out to speak at their event.
It’s because it’s wrong.
While I’m no digital expert – I have been involved in it for 18 years and have seen it metamorphosize from ‘new media’ to ‘media’ to ‘a part of life’ and I have been very vocal about how pervasive, persuasive and powerful it can be.
Hell, it’s infiltrated our lives to such a degree that it is the only medium that can get around the ‘personal firewalls’ we have put up to filter out all the unwanted messages and noise around us.
That’s power and influence.
That’s wonder and amazement.
The issue I have – and the issue I was talking about – was bad digital marketing.
The stuff that doesn’t reflect the audience.
The stuff that doesn’t add value to people’s lives or clients commercial objectives.
The stuff that is trying to brainwash rather than engage, delight, inspire and motivate.
The stuff that feels like it was done with the same approach as banner ads in the mid-90’s.
Digital is a part of life and it’s a major part of my life and while I question how some people approach it, there’s a ridiculous amount of stuff that gives a glimpse of what it is and what it can be … and given some of that stuff are things that I have been lucky enough to be directly part of or through the wonderful company I work for, I’m very proud of that.
Being sensationalized – accidentally or not – doesn’t feel nice.
I know they will say “but you said that” … but the thing is, when you only hear part of the story, the impression it conveys means what you said is pointless, because the message being heard is completely counter to what you intended.
As a comms person I know that.
As a comms person I should have known better.