Marketing Endings and Beginnings

(or where we’ve been and where we’re going)

Welcome to the very last day of 2010 — and what a year, decade it has been! Think back 10 years and try to remember what our world was like in 2000. We had happily “survived” Y2K intact. But that’s not to say our world was peaceful….

• The Presidents of North and South Korea signed a Peace accord
• Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee, accused of stealing sensitive nuclear weapons data, freed after serving nine months in prison
• The Concorde crashed near Paris, killing 113
• U.S. sailors on Navy destroyer Cole die in Yemen terrorist explosion
• Mad cow disease started raising alarms in Europe
• U.S. presidential election closest in decades; Bush’s slim lead in Florida leads to automatic recount in that state. Republicans file federal suit to block manual recount of Florida presidential election ballots sought by DemocratsRead more: 2000 World History — Infoplease.com

And as we all know, our world would forever and irrevocably change on 9/11/2001. What a tremendous decade it has been, not only in the world at large, but also for Marketing and Branding.

Ten years ago, Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare did not exist. In fact, most of us didn’t have Wi-Fi hooked up at home – or even at work (the first commercially available Wi-Fi device went on the market in 1999). We certainly weren’t concerned with Web 2.0, mobile marketing, or being interactive online. And when we marketed our companies – we expected to have a one way conversation with our customers and potential customers.

In the last 10 years, the world has changed in almost every conceivable way for marketers. Today, many companies are reputation building online, advertising online, and being social online. And if you’re not – it’s time to acknowledge that the world has changed and it’s time to move gracefully into a new decade.

As this year – and decade – come to a close, let’s acknowledge the endings of the way it used to be and be grateful that we have survived to see the world change again. And as the New Year begins let’s move forward fearlessly into the new world, one where Wi-Fi exists on every corner and in every home. Smart phones do more than most computers could 10 years ago, where Facebook and Twitter aren’t going away anytime soon, and where mobile marketing is a requirement – not an option.

I wish you the very happiest of New Years and am looking forward to what changes the next 10 years will bring to the world of marketing — are you up for it?

Happy New Year!