By: David Armano
Once upon a time we were consumers. We watched commercials. Brands spoke to us—we didn't speak to them.
We had to change the TV or Radio station if we wanted to watch or listen to something else. It was hard to get away from advertising because sometimes we were just too lazy to change the channel.
Once upon a time we read books from authors. We admired from afar. We would have to attend a book signing or be a "somebody" to have access to our thought leaders. Once upon a time the rules were clear and defined. Content was content and marketing was marketing.
That was once upon a time. Digital turns everything upside down.
Here's my latest example. Creativity consultant, author and inventor Roger von Oech recently celebrated his 100th post. He chose to do an interview with me as his way to celebrate.
Why is this upside down?
Several years ago—I came across Roger's very inspirational Creative Whack Pack. The deck of cards is a great tool to help break stagnant thinking. They instantly connected with me and I've used them with my clients and my teams. I keep the deck in my desk drawer for easy access whenever I need a shot of inspiration. If you would have told me that years later the author and creator of this inspiration would be asking to interview me—I would have laughed you off.
But digital turns everything upside down.
With nothing more than I blog, the way I view community and the people I have access to has been flipped on it's head. Digital amplifies what we have to say. Digital lets us enjoy on demand. Digital gives us a degree of control. Digital acts like a backstage pass, granting us access and even fellowship with brands/individuals that we never could have come close to before.
Digital enables connection, access and relationship. All of which are very human.
That's why I call this a Renaissance more so than a revolution and even evolution. The Renaissance challenged conventional thinking. It turned art and science on it's head. It changed our perceptions about what we thought we knew. It embodied a spirit of discovery and re-discovery. Maybe the reality is that what we are experiencing in this digital age is all three (Revolution, Evolution, & Renaissance)—but I definitely think it has a Renaissance feel to it.
Anyway, go over and give Roger a big "whack" on the back for hitting his 100th post. It's been great to see Creative Think "age", and if you turn 100 "upside down" you get 001. Think about it. 🙂
Original Post: http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/03/digital_turns_e.html
