Being media agnostic
Saturday, July 3, 2010 at 4:55PM When it comes to marketing, it's easy to become passionate about one type of media over the others. The old guard likes to defend television and radio as still-reliable staples of the media mix, while many next-generation marketers become passionate advocates for guerilla tactics such as viral and social media marketing.
The fact is, all media has its advantages and disadvantages, which is why it is important for all marketers to learn to become media agnostic. It's not a phrase coined by me, but by advertising executive Robert Solomon in a great book called, The Art of Client Service.
For many, the word agnostic has religious connotations. It's often used by people to describe their religious views as being ambivalent. "I don't necessarily believe in God, but I don't necessarily not believe, either," they might say.
Aside from the religious reference, however, Merriam-Webster also defines agnostic as "a person unwilling to commit to an opinion about something". Pre-determined opinions are what keep you from looking at things objectively as they pertain to your current situation.
In order to properly choose a media mix, you have to get rid of pre-conceived biases towards what you like, and what has always worked in the past. Yesterday's media mix might still be relevant today, but something else could be better.
Putting together a proper media mix really involved asking just a few simple questions: Which media options best allow me to effectively communicate my message, and which allow me to reach the most number of people the most number of times for every dollar I spend?
It's really as simple as that, and an agnostic outlook will help you answer those questions as objectively as possible.
Reader Comments (1)
"Media agnostic"? I like the principle but not the term. How about "media neutral"?
http://admajoremblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/none-of-us-are-media-agnostic.html