The year was 1974. The commercial that went viral, Have it your way! A prophetic
jingle, foreseeing a time when we would want it all our way all the
time.
The idea of six degrees of separation seems almost quaint now when we
are all just a few clicks apart. We are explorers in a world of
unprecedented engagement. Thanks to the Internet, we can get to whoever
we want, whatever we want, however we want it. Our access has only
fueled our impatience. We want specifically what we want immediately.
Why is knowledge prepackaged in magazines, newsletters and conferences?
For decades, this was the most efficient way to capture and share it
with large groups. Everyone got the same message at about the same time.
In th 70s many organizations even made fun of the BK mantra:
But now in the 21st century web-based content has freed us from the
production and logistics costs of traditional publishing but it has
also allowed people to seek information based on their specific
interests and priorities, finding what they want when they want it.
People harvest knowledge to meet their needs, which could reflect
a desire for education, a passionate interest of the moment,
problem-solving in a specific situation, or whatever the seeker wants
for any reason at all.
Bookselling giant Amazon is a good example of how we have thrown away
the prepackaging we used to take for granted. You don�t thumb through a
catalog. You browse the site, directed to media of interest by the
search terms you select. You may also choose to see purchases made by
others who share your interests, exposing you to material you may want
but didn�t previously know existed
What is available � and how it is available � is no longer be
preordained by what is convenient to the provider. In 1974 Have it your way was a creative
alternative. In 2014 there is no other choice.
Think this week about the people who are most important to you: your
customers, family, and friends - they are designing their own
experience just like you are. Are you making it easier or harder for
them to include you?
Competition is not
only the basis of protection to the consumer, but is the incentive to
progress.
- Herbert Hoover
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