Our society has changed – dramatically – over the past few decades. We often talk about these changes in the context of business (flattening), government and politics (opening) and community (connecting). But changes are being seen everywhere, in every community and every sector of our society, and they are being felt by all of us. Technology and the Internet, and their role in our lives, have changed how we communicate, get and share information, the media we consume, and the reasons we engage with each other – online and offline.
Some of the changes are obvious. Information moves faster, people are more closely connected, and the expectations we all have for what we want see and hear, who we trust, and what kind of relationship and support we want from an organization have all changed. The ubiquity of technology and the reach of the Internet make it possible to spread a message farther and have it be embraced by more people than ever before. And the rise of social platforms leaves no doubt that we are one global, inter-connected community and capable of taking action on issues we passionately share.
Other changes lurk below the surface still. Now that organizations receive instant feedback and real-time measurement of their impact directly, the groups that choose to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with their audience have an advantage. And because the available tools make it possible for everyone to have a platform from which to speak, and anyone to spark a bottom-up, grassroots-fueled revolution that has power no individual or entity could generate on their own, many groups who have sought to maintain strict controls over their message or activity are struggling.
As a result of these massive, disruptive changes to our society, how organizations operate, organize, and communicate must be re-imagined. The contribution that media can make to raising awareness and supporting education must be re-considered. The passion and interest of individuals all around the world must be re-focused and re-directed. And certainly, the ways that we create, distribute, promote, watch, review, share and discuss everything should be re-envisioned.
The reach and power of mobile technology, in all its forms, has had perhaps the greatest impact on these changes of anything – and also provide some of the most exciting options for how the future develops. Everything must change – and mobile is changing everything.
A total reset in thinking
Our behaviors change because of the access to mobile technology. Take the simple example of how you talk on the phone. In the past, we didn’t have to ask where someone was when we called – because the answer was obvious (hint: on the other end of a long, twisting phone cord that eventually connected to the wall). But our phones don’t just free us to move around, they also become an extension of our daily lives. In fact, mobile phones are on, and active, more than all other technology in our lives… combined.
Keep in mind, however, the focus that most people place on technology, the facilitator for our behaviors, is not the big story. The changes that we are observing in how the world works – the socialization of our society if you will – are happening because of, but also well beyond, the direct influence of technology. The focus on technology is ultimately too limited. The tools and channels that have been created in the last few years have generated a lot of excitement and attention, but they must be put to the appropriate use, and the audience uses them to engage media in new and different ways, for the changes to help drive the outcomes we individually and collectively desire.
The fact is, for all the new and exciting opportunities that exist, the current ways that most organizations are using mobile devices, phones and tablets and everything else, to interact with their audience still follows the same traditional patterns. And that’s not a good thing.
To shift people’s behavior and create the kinds of connections necessary for people to more deeply engage with media, brands, serious issues, or anything else, we have to begin by recognizing that the ways that we reach, educate, engage and mobilize audiences aren’t working anymore. There are more than enough tools capable of facilitating the activities and behaviors we believe are needed to drive revenue, build audience, and direct action. But the content we deliver and the ways the audience use that content are critical elements as well. The key is this: we have to re-think how to communicate and drive action to achieve the desired outcomes. We have to shift the ways we create, distribute, promote, watch, review, share and discuss everything.
An invitation to act
The public is more engaged than ever before, more capable of collecting and sharing information with a wider audience – for free – than at any point in our history. This drives greater interest in media of all kinds, in all formats – as well as the creation of a more diverse and interesting culture. Coupled with the passion and commitment that people show towards issues, communities, and even products they love, we are now seeing an unprecedented opportunity to mobilize action in new and exciting ways.
This is an invitation to act.
Think bigger. The potential for technology and the internet, and mobile devices in particular, to redefine how products are created, and how individuals view their role and demonstrate their interest is huge. Gone are the days when the majority of the population would sit for hours to do anything, especially consume media. Now, with freedom to move, the idea that people will gather at all is being questioned. Our information needs and our experiences have changed and our focus and goals should change as well.
The idea that we will find a mass audience for anything, no longer exists. What can we do with small, dedicated, passionate audiences instead? How can the entertainment and media worlds use their unique connection with communities and individuals, bring together disparate ideas and passions, for a common experience, or even to realize a shared civic goal? What can we learn from what has worked in other sectors, whether its politics, sports, philanthropy or marketing? If we think bigger, we can elevate the ways that people use mobile technologies to a place in our society where it influences how we think, act, and perceive everything around an issue.
Do More! The first step is simply to do more. Fueled by technology, we all have the ability to learn or discuss whatever we believe is relevant, to produce and distribute information so that it reaches audiences any time, any place, with a more diverse (and deeply invested) audience, and through any device. Beyond just being fans, everyone can be an ambassador for a show or a champion for the issues and story it presents. And by demonstrating your commitment to your fans, and welcoming their deeper involvement, not only will organizations be able to leverage new technologies, and have an impact, but they will also create a relationship that will result in more dollars, and interest, in every other aspect of their work.
Change Everything. We haven’t seen many organizations fully embrace the kinds of opportunities that mobile technologies have created for two reasons: first, organizations are still spending too much time trying to contain the conversations that their audience is having, to shape and channel their interests and behaviors to suit a particular agenda. Its much more difficult to get people to take a specific action or focus in a particular way than it is to find ways to enable their interests using the technology we know they carry. Second, organizations largely focus on how to communicate most effectively, the best ways to deliver a message – and the tools that seem to deliver the most reasonable method for supporting that — but not the content of those messages or how they relate to the experiences of the audience. The technology continues to change, but how most marketers and organizers and educators isn’t advancing as quickly.
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Organizations still want to have control. But no organization or institution has control anymore. The audience is in control. And we know it. Organizations should be looking to support and enhance the interests of their audience, to engage them in conversation (and to listen to what they are saying). Mobile technologies make it possible to do almost anything, anywhere, at any time. But the technology is not the answer. What you do with those tools is what matters. How well you know your audience and how you adapt to meet their needs and satisfy their interests is what will define the outcome of your work
We need to fundamentally shift the way we think about how we create, distribute, promote, watch, review, share and discuss everything. Mobile technology is not just a new medium through which we can deliver information. It introduces a whole new way of living and operating as a society. And to realize that opportunity, we need to find new ways of thinking and doing things. It is possible. We just have to start by changing everything we are doing.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Brian: Your concept of shift:reset definitely resonates with the disruptive nature of mobile communications and mobile technology in general. In this case, the mobile technology has become all-pervasive, with the disruptive effects almost overnight becoming common to us all (think about the rapid evolution of mobile apps, and how quickly they have become an accepted commodity!). What I really appreciate, however, is the point you make about opportunity. Sometimes just accepting or adopting a new technology isn't where the real value lies, rather it's in the chance to step back and say “what can we do differently” from a fundamental/radical perspective. Nice piece.
Thanks, Fred. I would like to see this conversation move out in a handful of different directions… try to apply the general frame to specific challenges or issues. There is huge room for improvement, and new experimentation in almost every sector… retail, media, education, cause, etc. Mobile not only changes the environment and the behaviors, it helps open the conversation up to more people. I will try to post a few additional questions and ideas, set up a conversation about where to point thinking going forward. Certainly would love to hear your thoughts on what challenges should be tackled first.