There's a myth that all you need to do is outline your vision and prove it's right—then, quite suddenly, people will line up and support you.
In fact, the opposite is true. Remarkable visions and genuine insight are always met with resistance. And when you start to make progress, your efforts are met with even more resistance. Products, services, career paths... whatever it is, the forces for mediocrity will align to stop you, forgiving no errors and never backing down until it's over.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Forces of Mediocrity
Mike MacLeod wonders why those of us who 'get it' haven't been able to do more to fix online MR. I tend to agree with Seth Godin's theory:Acting as individuals makes it easy for the forces of mediocrity to band against us. By getting the issues and ideas out in the open we will start to change popular opinion. Once the movement gains enough momentum, the forces of mediocrity will fall in line.
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2 comments:
It's more than that.
Market research built its value by borrowing the scientific clothing of social science. The scientific validity of the data collection was the core of the value proposition.
Once that was in place innovation was inhibited because it may disrupt the processes that were sold as guaranteeing this.
This then became a useful rationalisation for not improving. Especially as many research models were built on normative data. Hey, we can't change - it would not be 'comparable'.
The emphasis on scientific validity of data collection prevented the development of the value of data interpreation. The assumption being that if the collection method is scientific the data speaks for itself. Market researchers are not marketing consultants because we have never sold that service. We have sold our skill as collectors of accurate data (and that tends to be how we cost our projects and make our money).
This has led to a cultural belief that protecting the status quo protects quality and the core of our proposition. And that also tends to be a comfortable place for human beings.
I like your blog. What you are saying is needed.
Watch out for the prophets of new marketing though. Some of them are full of it too.
Well said. And yes, all marketers are liars, but even lies often contains germs of truth. My philosophy is to trust everyone enough to hear them with an open mind, and trust no one enough to believe them if they don't pass the sniff test.
-mrh
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