Revolutionary Times

I was totally engaged by a speech given recently by author and social media analyst Clay Shirky on technology and culture at the U.S. State Department sponsored seminars TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design).

He went on to explain that the communication/media landscape has only been transformed in revolutionary ways 4 times in the last 500 years before the Internet.

1. Printing Press
2. Telephone
3. Recorded Sound and Film

4. Radio and Television

By design they fostered one to one communication (telephone) or one-way communication to groups (Movies & TV). What the Internet has created is an environment for convening groups to communicate with each other, directly to brands, and the ability to get your message quickly to anywhere in the world . Consumers have gone from passive to active audiences and content producers. Shirky says the rules are completely changed and what we (as marketers) are struggling with the most are “How Can We Best Use the Medium” now that consumers have become full participants.

There is so much good stuff in the video and Shirky delivers his whole presentation in a little over 17 minutes, including interesting thought provoking case studies from the recent Earthquake in China to the Obama Campaign that won the Titanium Lion at this years Cannes.