Note To Marketers - Rip Off Your Rear View Mirror!

Where You've Been Has Little To Do With Where You Need To Go

By David Miranda

Yogi Berra, Hall Of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees and guru of the spoken word, once said, "The future ain't what it used to be." This couldn't be any truer than in marketing. Just a few years ago, we had not heard of Google, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, blogs, Tivo, Apple's "i" products, etc. Today, each has had a dramatic impact on how people communicate and consume media. None of these were found in the rear view mirror.

Today too many marketers, however, still drive marketing strategy looking in this rear view mirror. The result is an accident waiting to happen and many already have littering the marketing landscape with the road kill of victims - some deceased, some fatally injured.

The list of casualties is extensive - bricks & mortar travel agents, book and music stores; newspaper classifieds; printed yellow pages; print journalism; music labels; the :30 sec ad spot, etc. etc., and there's more to come.

What are marketers to do?

First, rip off the rear view mirror. Next, pay attention to the road ahead. Next, rid yourself of superstitious marketing behavior, i.e. believing that what was successful in the past will continue to work. Finally, don't be afraid to fail trying new things. Not being afraid to fail is different from wanting to succeed.

No more rear view mirrors.