Digital Marketing Facts: What You Think You Know May No Longer Be True

The cornerstone of our knowledge and experience is being able to rely on the truths we have learnt to stay as the truth. The facts upon which we build our mental view of the world need to remain solidly so, and not upon rapidly shifting quicksand.

And yet, in a world that is moving ever further, ever faster, we often spend so much time building ever higher, that we never check if our foundation is still there.

For example, everyone reading this column will know that there are nine planets in our solar system, as that was what we were taught at school.

But as some of you may also be aware, Pluto was recently stripped of its ‘planet’ status. So now there is a whole new generation of kids that will know for a fact that our solar system has just eight planets… and they will be right.

How about the 12 astrological star signs that have been used for the past few centuries? Well, there are now actually 13 star signs.

Here’s one more for you – how many senses (i.e., a physiological method of perception, verified by science) do humans officially have? Five, right? Wrong. The answer will surprise you.

So here we are, carrying all these facts that we thought were so basic, so indisputably true, that it never even occurs to us to question them. The above ones are quite harmless in our day-to-day lives, but what about the ones that we rely on to do our jobs?

What are the ‘facts’ we have in marketing and digital advertising that are holding up our models and strategies, that may have long since faded? Here are four to consider:

1. Social media is a recent fad.

Whilst social media is really just a fancy term for word of mouth powered by technology, even as a concept, it’s been around since 1954. Even at the earliest days of the Web before there was QQ or MSN, there was ICQ and Internet Relay Chat (IRC).

Before Facebook and MySpace, there was Six Degrees.

So this is not going to be a flash-in-the-pan phenomenon that’s going to disappear any time soon. But if you haven’t looked into it, you should start working it out, as some people have a 15-year head start on you. And when you look at hiring a ‘social media guru’… well, make sure they actually have more than a couple of years experience.

2. China is rising to the top economically for the first time.

We were so used to seeing China as a poor country with exploited labour that we are somewhat surprised or anxious to hear that it will soon surpass even the United States to take the top spot.

Yet, over the past 1,000 years, China has held the top position for over 80 percent of that time. If anything, the waking dragon is merely returning to its rightful position that it’s always had, after what’s been an extended nap.

3. Think, feel, then do.

Most briefs I’ve seen over the years make the assumption that consumers are rational people, weighing up benefits and evaluating options before making a decision. We feel that decision is right, then we act upon that decision. This is known as the “Rational Mind Hypothesis”.

Advances in neuroscience have revealed, however, that humans are not rational creatures, but rationalising ones. We feela decision is right, we act upon it, then post-rationalise it. If you need proof, just look at Apple’s marketing, designed to elicit pure lust… and we make up for ourselves all the rational excuses we need to give in and justify the purchase.

4. Integration works best when everyone sits together.

Most agencies seem to be in an absolute lather, tripping over themselves to do ‘integrated work’ as if it were the pinnacle of our craft. And it seems the most common method is to mix all the teams together, as if staff could absorb each other’s craft through proximity and osmosis.

Undoubtedly, there are benefits in terms of communication when people are close together, but is this the only model? Do we ask GPs and nurses to sit neurosurgeons because it makes for a better integrated customer experience? Or do we accept that different types of teams thrive in different ecosystems, and plan accordingly?

What assumptions do you hold that it may now be time to review?