And the DJ2

Digital Native is an oft-abused term that can bring assumptions with it. But I like the term as it allows me to proudly note that I’m a Digital Immigrant.

Born in 1970, I can tell you that before playlists there were mix tapes. Those same tapes were used to upload DOS software using a tape recorder.

And I remember when our family got our first betamax video tape recorder, cable subscription and I may have even played a few rounds of Pong with my friends. As a result I’ve experienced, and vaguely remember, the before and after that can be created by new technology. At a minimum, it fuels a ton of “When I was your age” speeches I’ll give to my kids.

I’m proud to be a Digital Immigrant. This mix of experiences and perspectives blends with my pragmatic Midwestern upbringing to create more grounded insights. It’s easy to shun the old and gravitate towards the new. But it’s usually better to blend the two. It gives objects a richer back story. It creates a wonderful mashup.

This video from IDEO is one example of how the old and new might blend for a better user experience. 

The Future of the Book. from IDEO.

“We believe that an increasingly digital context can add to our notion of books, instead of taking away from it.” This is exciting and it reminds me that we can gain more than we lose over time.

Marketer as DJ, Plans as Mashups
The video also considers how information overload coping mechanisms like content curation can be used to create a richer experience.  This is important as workforce skill sets change. We’re rushing to learn and teach everyone the new. But we’re as much DJs creating mashups as we are marketers evolving with new technology.

What do we keep and what do we throw out? We need to make sure seemingly basic, but iconic classics like audience/participants, goals and measurable objectives are not forgotten. It seems fundamental. But as we become immersed in the shiny new, we can assume that so much is new that nothing old can be applied to the situation at hand. But these are tunes that always sound good regardless of which shiny new social media beat you blend into them.

Cross-posted to my work blog, Social Study.

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