Beware the emerging modifier
Recently some new friends were over for a visit and their nine year old pointed and said, “Look Dad, they have an old fashioned box TV!” I was stunned. First, I was surprised to learn that CRT monitors now have a colloquial name – “box TV”. And second, that my once-prized Sony XBR Trinitron (29” no less) TV was now “old fashioned.” Harrumph.
Later I was thinking (not stewing, really) about how a generic, iconic TV had come to pick up a modifier – “box”. Of course it is because of the rise of what we used to call the “flat-screen TV” but now has become just a “TV”.
What else has passed from being a generic to being a subset? Well, what used to be a phone is now a “landline phone.” And what used to be a camera is now called a “film camera.” And with the global rise of soccer we are beginning to call our game “American football.” So this emergence of a modifier is a good indication of the market has moved. We should look at the appearance of these new sub-categories as crucial ‘inflection points’ – where the old terminology no longer applies because the experience of the product, service or brand has changed so much.
How about this one – “physical event”? Events are undergoing rapid evolution as they become more integrated with overall marketing programs and come to include digital, virtual, and social components. And those components commonly extend to before, during, and after phases. In fact, some are even leaving the term “event” behind as more marketers look at these programs as engagements, platforms, or even branded touchpoints.
So if you find yourself having to describe your marketing effort as a “physical event” because it does not include digital, virtual, and social, you may have slipped past the inflection point. Watch out for that emerging modifier. It is a good indication that the market is moving and new approaches are now broadly accepted.
Oh yeah, that “box TV” comment was the kick I needed to step into the present. I got a new one – flat screen, 16×9, hi-def, LED. Today they call that a “TV”.
Thanks to luddista for the cool shot.
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