When Did I "Get" Old?: Trends for the rest of us

In a business driven by trendy folks who spew stats and info, fairly often something crops up that makes me feel ancient. Getting older is sneaky. You don’t really feel it until the song you remember dancing to at the prom plays on a classic rock station.

Me? I'm smack in a middle of an interesting demographic. My generation doesn't have a letter (Generation B for Bitch?), but we’re now busy executives, soccer Moms, and the generation that twice sent George Bush into the Oval Office. (Bad memories, but they’re mine. We have since redeemed ourselves, thankfully.) I'm no longer the contemporary of cub reporters and interns. Now, I'm the one hanging with managing editors and executive producers. Has my perspective on the marketing businesses changed? To coin a famous lady: You betcha!



Here’s some advice for those who count us among your potential customers.

360-Degree Communication
Contrary to the belief of my younger colleagues, we are early adopters and avid promoters. We were the ones who moved from eight-tracks to cassettes to CDs to iPods in record time. We were watching while MTV played "Video Killed the Radio Star" and CNN aired its first on-air piece about Jimmy Carter visiting Vernon Jordan after he was shot. We made media lists with rotary (I didn't but my friends did) and push-button telephones and typewriters (that I did). We actually spoke with colleagues—and subsequently created the ubiquitous electronic communications you all dig. We went from completely missing telephone calls to having machines that answered them, to being available 24/7 with mobiles. That’s why we at RLM always talk about the value of 360 Degree Communications: we remember when we had to actually work to get information. Now, we want to receive facts and figures — call them stories — from all those sources we have worked our whole careers to cultivate.




Embrace the New But Don’t Eschew the Old
Wise men and women will all tell you that effectively reaching influencers often involves using a stamp and an envelope. I have a ton of information filed electronically. I also have a filing cabinet meticulously organized with all my notes; I use a fantastic device called a pen. I have and hold hard copies from clients, colleagues and people trying to sell me junk. I delete Spam without opening it, yet today received three pieces of junk mail which I in fact opened and read.

Before tossing.



The Benefits of Writing Good
This is my soapbox, and I’m proud of it. I work in PR, a communications industry. Much of our communication is written. That means outlines, grammar, and channeling your creativity into materials—pitches, letters, collateral, online communications—that are absolutely in line with your client’s and/or company’s business objectives. PR is not about wild and crazy ideas (although stunts do have a time and a place). Rather, PR is about creative ideas that deliver solid business value. Have I made myself clear? Or clearly?

Search and Research
Please try not to make assumptions about a target market of which you aren't a proven member. If you are unsure how your audience views a particular topic or issue, ask. If you live in the Northeast, don’t assume everyone in the South or Midwest is a hick. If you’re in your 20’s, don’t think that people twice your age don’t have a clue about pop culture or the Next Big Thing. We saw it coming. That said, at 40 (or so) what is important is different from what’s important to 20 (or so), no matter what you do for a living. Learn to embrace differences.

Done With Box of Soap
Once you have all that down, remember this: We are consumers who drive trends. We’ve been doing so for a while and don’t plan on stopping. We buy stuff, and our earning and purchasing power matters. We might not be as cool as we were, but we wield more power over the world than you recognize!

Well, that’s it. I’m stepping off now.

Twitter @badpitch and @laermer and wherever else you find me.
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