You Better Start Swimming Or You'll Sink Like A Stone

... For the times they are a changing."

(This comes from the introduction of a recent speech I made to an audience of start up marketers at McHenry County College. It has a few seeds which I want to preserve for cultivation later on... gj)


"Remember the song? Driving my daughter to High School last week, she put the CD in the dashboard player. I smiled when I heard the song. "I didn't know you liked Bob Dylan," I said. She smiled. "Of course! Everyone likes Bob Dylan dad."

Then it hits me. It's 6:30 AM and I realize Bob Dylan is a very successful marketer. Indeed, we might listened and learn:

* Successful marketers know how to swim!
* They know what it takes.
* They have learned to kick hard while under water.


For start up marketers the truth of these lyrics couldn't be more succinct.

* You'd better start swimming, or else!
* Start ups must be on target with their product strategy.
* They have to know exactly what they want in planning, spending, and doing the right things.
* A start up company must be smart, or lucky (or both).
* The stats: one out of five make it.

Then there are the more grown up corporate realities on marketing: The average tenure of a CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is now less than two years; Ditto for the average agency relationship with clients; Most major metropolitan newspapers are scrambling to maintain their franchise (attempting to reinvent themselves online due to falling readership; And, few family firms survive past the first generation.

Better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone!

Here's more:

* The internet is now the fastest growing advertising medium in the world.
* This year brought new pressure on the up-front market. First time ever another medium has put pressure on TV spending.
* Consumer generated media is all the rage. Consider the rise of Blogs, Facebook, YouTube, wireless computing, and Google's unbelievable run.
* Not to mention the long tail (more on this later). Now we have the long tail of the internet to consider
* The internet has brought unprecedented change.
* Technology now allows us to do things we could only dream.

If there's a point that I want you to remember it's this: marketing is very serious business. It always has been serious. But it is even more so now. For the times they are a changing!

Sometimes I think clients often continue to react to marketing as if it is just fun and games. Big mistake. Great marketing is resolute. Great marketing is supported by strong data and analysis. It is the product of a well founded strategy executed with passion and intelligence.

When you "go to market" you're placing a substantial bet on the future.

Tonight we're going to talk about how to swim. How to go to market. What to worry about, etc. Yet, we're also going think about changing times."