Times They Are A-Changin’

“The only constant in life is change itself” – Heraclitus, Greek Philisopher, 475 BC.

Society as a whole has been changing faster than ever (Queue Bob Dylan’s ‘Times they are a-changin’.)  I remember my grandparents saying to the 5-yr-old me “when I was young bread only cost 10 cents”.  That sure was the Golden Age, wasn’t it? (Not that I was alive to say…)  Or better put – the glory years.  Looking back to the 1950’s, it’s mind blowing to think how privileged society felt with the invention of colour TV and the opening of Disneyland.

More recently, I can remember when all the kids from the neighbourhood used to go outside and play road hockey.  Nowadays, kids’ idea of playing hockey is sitting in front of a PlayStation and connecting with friends online.  Quite sad isn’t it?  I feel way beyond my years saying that, but that’s how I feel, and this is my blog!

I couldn’t imagine watching TV on a 10 inch screen with a black and white picture.  The same way I cannot imagine myself having wrinkles and grey hair.  But somehow we’ve come from those days of black and white, and inevitably I will one day have grey hair.  Very mature of me to acknowledge that, is it not?  After all, beauty can’t last forever.  The point is that most things in life are not as predictable as getting grey hair as you age.

Society will continue to change in all ways and changing with it is the advertising landscape.  We need to be prepared at all times for the changes ahead and learn to adapt; otherwise, your brand may begin to pixelate and possibly even wash out altogether (like print advertising).  We cannot predict what is to come but if you are mentally prepared with the right attitude, being open to the changes, you may achieve great success.  Technology has created so many new platforms and opportunities for both advertisers and consumers.  The focus right now is on social media, one of the biggest changes of our time. And although it may be almost impossible to stay abreast of this ever-changing landscape, there’s never a bad time to start. Times They Are A-Changin’!

Jaclyn Bickerton, Social Media, Raven5 Ltd, Oakville & Toronto Ontario, August 2013

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