Marketing Change
Tim Tyson just posted a video to his blog based on a YouTube video he found and related it to teaching kids (marketing information). I’ve been reading a book called “Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell that discusses the social nature of trends or epidemics in our society. I’ve only just started the book but I thought that this video relates very well (at least what I’ve read of it). Granted this video is addressing advertising, but I don’t think Tim’s far off here. We do have to “sell” the information to students. The Internet has not only changed the way teachers teach, but it has changed the way learners learn. The idea of entertaining students in order to get them to learn often ruffles the feathers of even the best teachers. Are things so different now though? The gadgets are different, the expectations are different but I remember enjoying learning when I found it entertaining. Is everything in life fun? No. However, learning is fun. Is sitting in a lecture fun? Not necessarily. Yet in many classrooms that’s exactly what we expect students to do. Sit and get.
Here’s the description of this video from YouTube.
“Companies, marketers and advertising agencies are facing a dramatic shift in marketing realitiy -- and are increasingly failing to connect with consumers. The big challenge in times of exchangeable products, the rise of social media and mature and rather brand sceptic consumers: To find new ways how to get people engaged again in products, advertising and in brands.”
I’m just thinking here, so I’m not even sure how I feel about what I’ve written. Just a short reflection on a video.
So your post reminded me of a speaker I heard at the National Staff Development Conference in 2007. He is an economist (a different type of keynote for us!) but the theme of the conference was educating in the 21st century. His “job” as keynote was to give us a different perspective on what was/is REALLY going on in our economy. I will have to find my notes (Yes, I keep them…) but he made numerous references to the idea that,as you point out we are evolving into an entire culture who EXPECTS to be entertained. For example, consider a birthday party 50 years ago. More than likely, the parent may have gone out to the store and purchased all of the ingredients to make a cake, not a box, the real thing. Then, a short time later, the shopping list was not for flour, sugar and such, but rather, the BOX of cake mix. Move on to a culture where we order our cakes from the bakery, then jump ahead to the birthday party EXPERIENCE we pay top dollar for now. I was at one this weekend, and all the parents had to do was shell out the big bucks and the party was planned, invitations sent, goodie bags packed and party facilitated for them. It was a far cry from checking Betty Crocker for the cake recipe.
So, yes, we are working and raising children who expect to be entertained, but when you think about it, could it be what we expect also?
Thanks for sharing this, Bill. Good example–video was clearly entertaining in and of itself. I often think that those people with the ruffled feathers should sit through 7 hours of lectures and worksheets with an occasional video thrown in. Learning is fun. Bottom line. Kids know this from the time they are born. It gets lost, sometimes, by the age of 5 or 6. What happens? School happens.