RonAmok!

It’s time for those wedded to the old ways of publishing to admit that the world of communications has evolved, forcing content creators to change the way we do things. It’s time to admit, once and for all, that the Golden Age of centralized influence is gone, that Mega-publishers no longer control eyeballs, and as a result, they no longer hold the same amount of clout as they once did.

With the help of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s On Death and Dying, I’m going to demonstrate the five stages that every journalist/editor/PR/ marketing professional must experience in order to become productive members of our new communications economy:

denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Denial: New Media? Pshaw, just a fad. User-generated content? Ha! Too unprofessional. Blogs? Gimme a break. Nobody wants to read some feety-pajamas-wearing-teenager rant about the New World Order from his parent’s basement. Youtube? Sure, let’s all gather ’round the computer screen to watch skateboarding dogs and candy-powered soda fountains.  Facebook and Twitter? Pahleeze. As if I care what some pipsqueak in Peoria is doing right now. C’mon people. Communications is serious business that must be left to the pros.

Anger: WTF? I got a pink slip because some blender manufacturer got over six-million views for grinding up an iphone? Are you serious? You call that professional marketing? And what in the name of Walter Cronkite happened to news reporting? A couple bloggers get lucky with a  Trent Lott and Dan Rather story, and I’m filling out forms for unemployment insurance? Some dude on a ferry beats CNN and MSNBC by publishing the first photo of a plane crash on the Hudson and I’m playing eenie-meenie-miney-moe with COBRA health insurance plans? Damn the amateurs. Damn them to hell!

Bargaining: Have you come to your senses yet, boss? I’m a professional (fill-in-the-blank). I write objective/balanced stories. I leverage my relationships with the media to get my company/client stories covered. I write and blast snappy marketing messages at our customers. I’ve got awards, dammit! Please take me back. Pleeeeez? Stella! Stella!

Depression: Everything on the Internet is crap. Nobody reads the newspaper anymore. Who wants to curl up and read with a portable media device for cryin’ out loud?  Nobody wants to pay for the pros anymore. How will society survive without paid professionals covering the world for us? Where’s the money? Where’s my newspaper? Hey kid, get off my lawn!

Acceptance: It’s over. The audiences have moved. For better or worse, consumers have changed their behaviors. They get their news, information, and entertainment from different places than our parents did. And they aren’t willing to pay for much for it, either. Newspapers are bankrupt; the journalists that I used to pitch are all unemployed; and the trade shows that I used to spend a King’s ransom on are almost empty. I need to look in different places, talk with different people, and offer different types of content creation services.

Because it’s not about me; it’s about my audience. If I focus on taking care of them, they’ll take care of me.

Photo Credit: Library of Congress

Thanks to Julie Wright for the inspiration for this post!

Tags: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross On Death and Dying Intervention New Media Evangelist denial anger bargaining depression acceptance

Whenever I’m presenting New and Social Media topics to a group, I’ve found that the audience falls into three categories:

1. Those who “Get it”– a small group of people who latch onto the message. They typically embrace new technologies and are willing to try new ways of doing things. I’ve also found that these folks generally have very good “people skills,” are comfortable talking with others, enjoy sharing opinions, and treat people with respect.
2. The Traditionals are people who not only don’t “get it,” but refuse to “get it.” The Traditional is a control freak. Someone who has been trained in controlling the corporate message. Any hints at relinquishing this control sends their hearts into abnormal heart rhythms. Traditionals will use any disruptive tactic they can to derail New Media related discussions. I’ve heard them all: “New and Social Media doesn’t work with my customers,” or “That stuff only works in (fill in the blank).”
3. “Running With Scissors” People “get it” but in a very dangerous way. These are the same folks who’ll dive into a pool without knowing where the deep end is. They’re always willing to try something new, but are so excited about the tools and technologies that they forget why they are using the tools in the first place. Running With Scissors folks need a special type of manager, someone to pull back on the reigns so that nobody puts an eye out.

Of the three, the Traditionals are the toughest to deal with. I’ve spent many a day butting heads with them, but was really surprised when one of my favorite authors took the Traditional’s side. David Meerman Scott produced this short (1:22) video proving the Traditionals right…that not all businesses use the Internet to find their products and services.

I stand corrected:-)

Tags:

New Media Evangelist Ronamok Ron Ploof David Meerman Scott Traditionals Running with Scissors Get it

What do you get when you cross a New Media Evangelist, a Storyteller, and a bad customer service experience? Watch the following 7 minute video and find out.

Tags: valentines day 1800Flowers customer support ronamok new media evangelist