Why does everything have to be DEAD?

People LOVE to kill things off. I’m not talking about your favorite TV show character (RIP Dr. McDreamy). I’m thinking more along the lines of…

“The OS is dead, killed by the cloud”

“The resume is dead (or at least it has jumped the shark).”

“Why television is dead”

Whether it’s a new technology replacing its predecessor or traditional business tactics getting pushed out by the digital realm, it seems like every time we open a newspaper (oh wait, are those dead too?) we see that SOMETHING is dead. Well guess what – nothing is truly “dead” as deemed by the “powers at be” (whoever they are).

As marketers and communications professionals, we can’t fall victim to the XYZ is DEAD headlines. We live in a world where technology is constantly improving. Ideas grow and build off of one another into something more useful and impactful for us and for consumers.

Is long-form content dead?

There will always be a value in long-form content, for example, no matter if people’s attention spans have diminished to that of a goldfish. To account for shorter attention spans, we’ve seen long-form content morph into other mediums. Instead of “wasting” 20 whole minutes reading, you can now listen on your morning commute, while doing chores, or whatever else the person of 2016 has to do all day that’s NOT taking 20 minutes to read your blog.

The press release is DEAD!

Another great example from the PR world – the press release is constantly getting killed off in one way or another. Like we’ve already discussed, people have short attention spans. Instead of writing another 300-word traditional press release, you can take the existing content and turn it into an infographic. Make a short video or animated gif to make your point. You can then pitch out your “release,” just in a different way.

Bottom line: stop saying things are dead. They’re not dead, they’re just changing and morphing for the better. Successful marketers and communicators will stay nimble and agile, ready to work their magic on any “dead” problem they face.

Tori Sabourin
Senior Marketing Analyst

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