The Times, They Are Always A-Changin'

The other day, we had our monthly Lunch & Learn to discuss our new book "Profiles in Marketing Excellence." It is authored by DMN3 CEO and Founder, Pam Lockard, and published by DMN3's research and education arm - DMN3 Institute. The purpose of the meeting was to turn in our assignment (yes, we sometimes enjoy to tack on more work just for kicks). Each employee was assigned one Profile to read and then share three key takeaways from that person's life and/or career. The book features 25 Profiles, which are the interviews and bios of some of the best marketers around the globe. It is a must-read and nothing like it exists on the shelf. Anyway....[end plug]....what surfaced in our round table discussion is this: The Times, They Are Always A-Changin'

It is a central theme throughout the book and (hopefully) common knowledge that the marketing industry is changing rapidly. Almost every Profile advises companies to keep reinventing themselves to stay relevant. They also imply that whether we are in an Information Age or not, adaptation is key and should be regarded as timeless. This brought up some interesting points among those of us who knew marketing before the Internet, some even recalled the advertising biz before Dylan's musical observation and revolution-inspired tune hit the charts.

One such veteran and co-worker is Kent. He shared with the team a story that really brought it home for me. Kent has been in the advertising industry longer than I've been alive, so to say he has seen a lot would be an understatement. Kent shared a story about a lunch meeting he had with a co-worker in 1975. They too were discussing change within the industry. Yet then, the "change" and next big thing was "VIDEO TEXT" - which later became what we call the Internet. I can't help but think this was a pretty mind boggling concept for the two advertisers. Just think, this was long before the PC went domestic and almost light years before the conception of e-mail. Yet Kent and his co-worker weren't threatened by video text's complexity. They were excited for the next phase and ready to face the change and adapt.

Fast forward 35 years and our lives - not just the lives of marketers, but everyone -  have been turned upside down due to technology, and yes, change. I can't help but think of all the destroyed and to be made irrelevant industries because of these technological advancements. I wonder if Kent and his lunch buddy ever knew that video text was just the beginning. That in 2011, the quantity and speed of change has only risen - weeding out the irrelevant and leaving only the survival of the fittest. Not sure about the other guy, but Kent is still rockin' and rollin' in this futile and fickle industry. He faced change, adapted to it and then kept at it because that is what it takes to be a top marketer.

On a side note, we should have really put Kent in our book. His story is just the type of marketing insight and inspiration found from the 25 Profiles in the book....learn more about "Profiles in Marketing Excellence" here.