The Logic+Emotion blog is consistently good. This post about execs not getting ‘new media’ is so spot on it hits the middle of the spot in the middle of the spot at the centre of the bullseye.
An extract:
“The industry has brainwashed us to believe that an experience is the equivalent of gratuitous Flash orgy Websites that pushes technology to it’s limits. Create something bright and shiny—consumers will take the bait and you’ll win an award right? Take a Flash micro site, toss in some viral for good measure, add a pinch of uninformed social media and viola! You’ve got yourself some digital marketing. Research? Who needs it?
Folks, we really need to start understanding what really motivates users. There are literally millions of enthusiasts out there producing quality content in highly search engine friendly formats. Not only is much of their content easier to find on the Web—it’s engaging, relevant, and the people who produce it actually talk back to us. It’s time to wake up. We need to get out in the field and understand people—what motivates them, and why they behave the way they do.”
Amen to that!
Read it here, really please go there and read it, I only copied a small bit to give you a flavour.
Often wondered why so many companies (and their agencies, to be fair) seem reluctant to do research. Seems to me that there are a few possible reasons, but my bets are on:
The client is deadline-fixated, so there’s “no time” for the research. Which is ridiculous. Better to be late and loved than on time and forgotten, although most company reward & staff appraisal structures would have you believe the opposite.
The staff in charge of the development/delivery of the product & service suspect that it’s a bit of a lemon but don’t want that pointed out to them. Or, they’re convinced they are right, relying on the “sample of one” approach to research. Or they don’t give a damn because by the time this train-wreck happens it’ll be someone else’s problem.
Their agency don’t know how to do effective research, or they too are convinced that they are right and don’t need “ordinary people” bursting their bubble.
I once worked for a company who’s idea of research was for the Account Director to talk about campaigns with a couple of her friends over a bottle of wine, get their opinions and then present that as a legitimate research study. Words failed me.