Frankly, I spend too much time online. Surfing, blogging, tweeting, Facebooking–I simply can’t keep up with it all. I feel pressured to keep up so I can stay relevant in advertising. But recently, I was reminded that getting out and experiencing the real world is just as important, if not more so.
Yes, there are plenty of research services, Account Planners, ethnographers, trend hunters, and other companies that report and deliver information on what’s happening out in the world to the ad industry. And you can read their reports, visit their websites and get their e-newsletters. We’ve become accustomed to learning about life, and our target audiences, through Google searches.
However, all the technology that’s opened up new possibilities for marketing also constricts us. You can immerse yourself in all the social media you want, but it’s amazing how the pressure to keep up it all, and the time it takes, can make you anti-social. Nothing replaces the feeling you get when you experience a phenomenon for yourself.
It’s the subject of my new column on Talent Zoo. And this Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for all the AdPulp readers who read my little ramblings here and on Talent Zoo. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.