Ok. So at many agencies (not mine, of course), the problem with adopting and using new technology in an integrated campaign is reluctance and risk-aversion on the part of several key individuals.
This isn’t a complaint post. It’s going to be constructive, I promise. Because these attitudes are the reason we don’t have flying cars, simulators (Tea! Earl Grey! Hot! ), and VR pr0n. At least not on a scalable level. I mean, I’m sure Richard Branson could have VR pr0n if he wanted it.
The reluctance and risk-aversion, as far as I’ve seen, are always attributed to the next feeder in the food chain.
Peon A: I have a great idea for a UGC video contest!
Supervisor B: Sounds awesome! Let’s see what Decision Maker C says. He’s not really into that kind of stuff, but it’s worth a shot, right?
Decision Maker C: Look, I’m a tech-friendly kind of person, and I think it’s a great idea, but I don’t think we can convince our clients to go for it.
The client may or may not ever hear about the UGC video idea, simply because it is generally assumed that the client comes to the agency with the request for new campaign ideas, not the other way around. At least that’s the last word from Decision Maker C. The buck is passed straight up to the clients, and who’s to say that Peon X in their own marketing department isn’t piping up with great new media ideas and being shot down in a similar fashion.
There’s an unfortunate focus on impossibility, an assumption that new tech will automatically present apocalyptic cost and risk. Basically, it’s fear of the unknown. And it’s completely R-Tarded©.
More to come.
