attention

(NOTE: I originally wrote this article in 2005 and was reminded of it this morning while surfing the net and dealing with autoplay videos. One more way that we try to capture, not captivate, the audience. And worse, they usually make them very hard to stop or turn off the sound. That little 'x' is so hard to tap, that you end up opening the brand website and I'll put money on the fact that their agency calls it a win. 

Marketing is often confused with promotion, but it’s more than that. As Peter Drucker put it, “the aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” In truth, marketing is about insights more than anything else.

I’m intrigued by the reaction that has unfolded around the Facebook “emotion contagion” study. (If you aren’t familiar with this, read this primer.) As others have pointed out, the practice of A/B testing content is quite common. And Facebook has a long history of experimenting on how it can influence people’s attitudes and practices, even in the realm of research. An earlier study showed that Facebook decisions could shape voters’ practices. But why is it that *this* study has sparked a firestorm?

Back in 2009, I wrote a piece about failing to communicate and how an abundance of information creates a scarcity of information. I wrote back then:

"We have met the enemy and he is us."

~Pogo

It's not all unicorns and rainbows in Silicon Valley these days. Already, voices are starting to grumble that it is The End of the Beginning for Silicon Valley, that Startups Are Boring, and that Facebook is the Last Great Company of the Desktop Age. And they’re right -- the wonderful burst of innovation that brought us companies like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Zynga and Groupon is starting to run its course.

Texting while driving was only the tip of the iceberg. As smart phones, tablets and other mobile gadgets make it possible to interact with tiny little screens wherever we go, they are also creating endless new ways to distract us from the real business at hand. Often, Facebook is just the more tempting option - and that may have serious consequences for society.