A principle isn’t a principle unless it costs something
“A principle isn’t a principle unless it costs something.”
This is a quote I’ve heard my colleague Steve Swanson say many times. Steve heads up Client Services for Engauge. He’s a fellow Evernote-addict, tennis player and he’s knows our industry as well as anyone I’ve ever met. You should follow him on Twitter.
Steve reminds us of this quote any time we are faced with a tough choice that we all pretty much know is the right decision, but man is it going to hurt. As we wrestle with it, Steve points out that our principles aren’t worth anything unless there is a price to pay. And he’s right.
I’ll certainly be using that line to help guide my decisions both personally and professionally. However, I think today that line of reasoning applies to the dilemma facing marketers as they wrestle with how to begin using emerging media (social, mobile, etc).
The discussion in the minds of CMO’s today goes like this:
“I know social is something we need to be using. Obviously it’s a great way, maybe the only way, to really engage with our customers.”
“But I don’t know if I’ll be able to show a direct ROI correlation, at least not quickly. Which means I might lose my job/budget/promotion if this isn’t successful.”
Ask different sources and you’ll hear that the average CMO tenure today is anywhere from 18-24 months. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy. CMO’s are so fearful of losing their jobs that they won’t follow their instincts and invest more in digital and social. They end up failing BECAUSE they don’t use these new ways to increase their market share and hit their goals. It’s a cycle that only those that believe so passionately that there are new ways to reach their customers beyond the 30 second spot will take the appropriate risks to show the true payout.
Whatever it is that you hold as a principle, remember that it’s not really a principle unless you’re willing to sacrifice for it. That’s what makes it a principle.
I’m now working at an extremely conservative organization that is just starting to dip their toe into the social media waters. Here’s a recap of the tail end of a conversation I had with the Director of Web Strategy this AM:
Me: “Have you heard of Yammer? It would be a great way to keep the 4,000-some-odd local organizations in touch with National.”
Her: “Yes, I’ve heard of it. Don’t know much about it except that it’s a huge liability for our organization.”
This attitude of fear and lack of understanding exemplifies the approach the organization has taken to the social media space thus far. The good news is that apparently I never get tired of beating my head against this brick wall. We WILL make more progress.
Classic example. “All I know about that is that its a huge liability for us”. Bingo.
Wow, I am so proud of you using a tag in your example :-)