Chasing 'New Shiny'

The elation of moving into a new house. The joyous smell of a recently purchased car. The 'butterfly in the stomach' days of a new romance. The delight of a new book. The new guy in office - we love 'New Shiny'.  We associate 'New Shiny' with opening up of doors to something positive, better, bigger, happier and so on. We forget that New Shiny can only fulfil its purpose of leading to something happier or better when the relationship is based on a mutual give and take. For example, a new book comes with its set of possibilities but only the reader's open mind can lead to the knowledge one seeks from a new book. A new relationship can definitely lead to a happier life provided both partners work towards a common goal. The new guy in office can solve problems only if the organisation arms him with the right tools. Sounds fairly commonsensical, doesn't it?

In the world of marketing, Digital is the New Shiny - harbinger of solutions to all things that sound 'difficult' at practically no cost. It has the 'new' smell. Its immensely measurable ROI gives managers the butterfly in the stomach feeling usually associated with falling in love. But how often do we stop and ask - 'What do I have to do to make this new medium work for me best?'

Digital marketing is not a mesmerising mermaid. It is a highly sophisticated tool that can provide solutions at the right ROI only if the data fed into it is correct. The data comes from our understanding of consumer behaviour, market conditions, category quirks and everything else we have always been mining to provide the best marketing solutions. Perhaps its time for us to stop chasing New Shiny and start engaging with it more fruitfully.