Discipline of the And ... The Key to Success

Idea > To succeed in today's media world, you need to consider all points-of-view

We live in a very polarized society. Left vs. Right, Fundamentalism vs. Modernism, North vs. South. You get the picture, our world has become highly intolerant of others' points-of-view. So much so, that many of today's arguments about business, politics, culture, marketing or whatever are not really arguments for something ... rather arguments against something. We practice the Art of the Or ... you're either with me or against me ... and with great gusto and passion.

There seems to be no middle ground left, no room to compromise. Especially when it comes to the digital space. Either you get Twitter or you don't ... you iPhone or you Crackberry ... Apple vs. Microsoft. You text or you talk. Digital media or traditional media. Pick one and defend it to the hilt ... either you or me. ... and I am as guilty as the rest of you (oh yeah, just ask me about my MacBook, I dare you)

Quite frankly it's time to put a stop to this nonsense and start practicing The Discipline of the And. A way of thinking that looks for solutions using the best of both worlds.

Look at media and marketing today. There is value in the traditional thinking of Ogilvy who viewed advertising as selling, not entertainment. Porter who championed differentiation as a key to profitability. But it scares the digital modernists, who aren't trained in classical media & strategic planning, to the point of no return.

AND

There is value in the emerging science of digital marketing that expounds consumer-in-control, information currency vs. selling and open vs. closed platforms for sharing and collaboration. Yeah, it's not your Father's 'Command and Control' ... its better. And yes, it scares the hell out of the marketing fundamentalists who want all their functions under tight control.

Here is the truth ... we all learn a whole lot more from listening to the other-side-of-the-table's viewpoint vs. our own. Sorry, it's not only the truth ... it's the Power of the And and the key to success.

That's my point-of-view ... what's yours

Media Dot O

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