It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

In 2011, as we view the position of communications on the national and world stage and our role as social marketing communicators today and into the foreseeable future, we are reminded of the words of Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

As technology advancements continue to evolve, giving us near limitless communications tools and the opportunity to share information and deliver messages around the globe in a matter of seconds (or less!), we think –
Yes - it truly IS the best of times for information sharing and delivering public information and communications.

In 2011
• We can broadcast the announcement of a medical breakthrough across the world in seconds
• Physicians can collaborate with their counterparts in other cities, other states and other countries in real time to share clinical data or conduct patient consultations, improving quality of care and reducing cost.
• We can see the devastation of an earthquake in Japan while it is still happening.
• A NYC oncologist can deliver a seminar to medical students in classrooms at each of the top medical schools throughout the country without leaving his office
• A journalist in Montana can conduct a face to face interview with a a protesting educator in Wisconsin while looking outside his window at the snow capped Rocky Mountains.
• We can create and disseminate a video about animal cruelty to millions of people via the web in less time than it takes to write and distribute a flyer to people in our town.
• As a result of social media, a North Carolina researcher is able to collaborate with a researcher at CalTech (California Institute of Technology) via one of many social networks that specifically serve the research community, like ResearchGate (www.researchgate.net ).

And yet, while it is the best of times, we sometimes wonder if for communicators, it is the worst of times.

Every day, each of us in this country is subjected to thousands of marketing message impressions – some say over three thousand. A 2004 Yankelovich study showed that nearly two-thirds of Americans felt bombarded by too much advertising and marketing, that most of it was irrelevant to them, and that marketers didn’t treat them with respect. The messages vie for our attention. They compete with one another to be the most noted, the loudest, the most engaging, and the most important. And frankly as consumers, we can’t absorb them all, let alone be influenced by them, let alone actually respond. Our brains sort them as they arrive, a kind of message triage. Which are the ones we need? Which are related to what we care about or the way we live? Which are really helping us? We have learned not to respond to instructions; we must be persuaded. We have learned to resent messages that don’t seem to understand our needs and our values. We have learned to distrust sources to which we feel no relation. We ignore anything that doesn’t immediately show us personal benefit. So every day we run the risk of completely missing important information because of this overwhelming volume, because it’s so hard to see what’s truly important. Our first reaction is to ask why we should care, and the communicator’s first responsibility is to provide an answer to that question. Without it, the dialogue stops before it has even begun.

The challenge of delivering social marketing-based communications outreach and relevant messages in 2011 is considerable. By nature, the message broadcasts information to a group of people, not an individual and may be seen as irrelevant to individuals who need to hear it. It may ask for behavior change, not necessarily through an immediate action but through attention over considerable time – and our attention in this society is a commodity in short supply. Often, the information comes from the government, and may be viewed by some communities with distrust. It is about research or medicine, or safety, or security, or cruelty -- topics that may make us uncomfortable, so we choose to ignore them. These messages require great care if they are to be heard and understood, and not merely delivered.

So - how do we cut through the clutter, and demand the attention of those that need to hear our messages. I'm hoping to post my thoughts and those that come to me from others over the ensuing weeks!