“Chi-Chi-Chi!
Le-Le-Le!
Viva Chile!”
If you watched any of the Chilean mining rescue coverage (links to CNN), you probably heard the spirited chanting of a justifiably proud and relieved nation and maybe even felt the collective exhale of people around the world. I’m sure the first thing that popped into your head after the last of the 33 miners was brought safely to the surface and the wave of elation subsided was, “I wonder if there’s a lesson for marketers in this near tragedy turned triumph?”
And I’m not talking about the Oakley sunglasses given to each of the miners. Though that was a brilliant move.
It was a great moment for Chile and the world—pure, life affirming victory in a situation that so often goes the other way. And while the raw human drama of the miners’ rescue is considerably more compelling and urgent than the ongoing transformation of marketing, it inspired me to think about how we achieve something both worthy and challenging in a period like our industry is experiencing today, where much is at stake and precedent is not entirely clear. Specifically, it made me think about the conditions that compel and sustain action—how we choose our course in uncharted territory and the benefits of adversity.
So before Eric Estrada ruins the memory of this riveting and triumphant moment by landing the lead role in the made for TV dramatization, I offer a few thoughts.
Post collapse or during a major shift, I think three elements help focus people and organizations and illuminate the path forward:
- Necessity: survival requires a response. And the response must be proportional to the scope of the challenge or objective. In Chile, basic humanity dictated the best effort possible for the 33 countrymen trapped half a mile under the surface. In the transformation of marketing, the stakes are economic, true, but they are also social, cultural and personal. People’s expectations have changed and this enables us to address marketing’s potential beyond the purely financial and economic benefits that have largely commanded the industry’s focus over the last 50 years. This mother of invention dictates that brands understand and address a more comprehensive consideration set than shareholders have generally endorsed. Securing investor cooperation may be the real mother, but it’s crucial if your organization or brand needs to keep these people happy. Start building a common vision today and if you need a little inspiration, try reflecting on some of the examples from Firms of Endearment (links to Amazon).
- Freedom: liberated from traditional constraint—untethered from what we might have been doing for years because it is no longer working—we are free to embrace something different. And not like “you are now free to move about the country”….you have to pay for that kind of freedom. Here, you’ve been cut loose, set adrift by forces that are pervasive and unstoppable. And when the risk of doing nothing is greater than the risk of failing, people and organizations can afford to pursue opportunities that might not have seemed reasonable before. I think this reality also increases the likelihood of achieving the improbable because it opens the door a little wider than if we’re only thinking about incremental change. The rescuers in Chile sought out expertise from NASA and Chilean naval submarine veterans, very non-traditional partners for the mining industry, to help craft an evolving survival approach for the 33 men trapped within the confines of the mine and its hostile environment. Had they only focused on getting the men out, it might have been more of a recovery than a rescue. Perhaps this is a complicated way of paraphrasing Kris Kristofferson, but freedom is another word for nothing left to lose…and then some. Freedom is a bridge to the unconventional.
- Hope: the fundamental belief that success is possible—that there is a reason to keep investing our time and energy. There is purpose to our commitment and reward for our effort. The obvious payoff for Chilean rescuers and the miners themselves, was life itself. For marketers, it is sustainability—bridging the gap between an old model in decline and successfully transitioning to a new and constantly changing marketing era. If we can figure out how to make this shift and adapt to the new era (and you have to believe this is possible) we can do better than survive—we can thrive. Thoughtful leadership and a shared vision must be matched with broad-based committed action, and personal and organizational incentives to make the vision a reality. And the rewards must be meaningful. If the payoff is just survival, then organizations risk falling into the philosophical trap succinctly explained in Office Space, where the fear of losing their job only makes people work hard enough to not get fired.
I’m not suggesting that these are the only pre-conditions for a success, but to me, they set the stage for the more tactical heavy-lifting that agencies, organizations and brands must accomplish as we evolve from a mass-oriented consumer persuasion approach, to a more meaningful and effective relationship-building model. Necessity, freedom and hope, when appropriately understood, can help us overcome institutional inertia and evolve with the society and culture that we ultimately serve.