Clearer at the Coal Face

Information overload is an everyday occurrence which lead me to ask; Why do certain pieces of information stick better than others? There are many scientific variables at play here but these are far beyond the scope of this post. I think, although no great epiphany, seeing, hearing or experiencing something that you have learned or are interested in makes everything seem that bit more clearly.

On a flight to Auckland this week I read an NBR article "Be wary of the digital pundits' Web 2.0 vapourware" which discusses the dangers of focusing a marketing strategy on the next new web craze. For example, advertising on Facebook is not a silver bullet to get young people to buy your product. The authors suggest it is more likely to be successful as part of a wider web or digital strategy.

On the return flight I was sitting next to an individual with 20 years of experience in the broadcasting industry. She talked about the changes that she had experienced over her career and remembering the above article I asked her if they were communicating digitally. Indeed they were through utilising podcasts, banners, partner’s web sites and social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo. This conversation was the closest I have been to the broadcasting coal face but hearing firsthand about their digital strategy after reading about it gave me clarity.

Over the summer I travelled with my girlfriend throughout Southeast Asia. We did not know very much about the countries that we were going to explore but we brought a few guide books and read them as we travelled. Everything became much clearer as we visited the palaces of Bangkok, ate bowls of Pho on the streets of Vietnam and visited the Killing Fields in the outskirts of Phenom Phen. The experience clarifies the written word.

Overall experiencing things helps make them memorable leaving an impression far deeper than any book, lesson or documentary. I will be finished my studies in the coming months and relish the chance to get to the coal face to clarify and strengthen my understanding of business.