We’ve all heard of the Dodo – the flightless, clumsy, and seemingly dim-witted bird that once inhabited the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It is a classic case of extinction and, in fact, it’s the first-ever recorded instance of the removal of a species in modern civilization. This bird forever left the earth because it did not react fast enough to change. When humans started colonizing its home, bringing with them their dogs, pigs, and other livestock, the Dodo didn’t react, didn’t have any means of defense, and didn’t even recognize humans as a possible predator (although many accounts suggest that this bird wasn’t very tasty). Needless to say, the Dodo vanished as a result of its inability to evolve quickly enough to change in its environmental settings.
Today a new environmental condition is causing another species to become extinct. The culprit of this new wave of extinction is called the internet and it’s targeting companies with outdated business and marketing models. Large or small, Fortune 500 or mom-and-pop shop, no business is safe. The internet, like it or not, is the most powerful social and marketing tool that the world has ever seen. I see many businesses today that are trying not to acknowledge the fact that it exists or that its’ power doesn’t apply to their industry. It’s almost as if these companies are burying their heads in the sand pretending it’s not there and waiting for this “fad” to pass.
To their credit, I believe that many business leaders out there understand the internet’s power – they’re using their computers at work to check their bank accounts and pay bills or using the Fandango App on their Android phones to look up movie times and purchase tickets, yet they aren’t able to equate this to their own businesses; especially if these businesses don’t have products that can be sold with an online shopping cart. It’s at this point that I’m going to share an enlightening fact with everyone: We are a research-based society and, as such, we turn to the easiest source of information which, at this point in time, happens to be the web. The product or service we want information on is irrelevant and ranges from everyday items to major purchases. Why would I waste my time looking for a phone book or sifting through a large directory when I can type “Chinese food” into a Google search when I’m feeling hungry? And truth be told, if you don’t come up on my Google search then you’ve probably just eliminated yourself from my short list of places to eat.
Many of today’s businesses don’t understand the powerful, cost-effective tool that they have in front of them. Instead they throw their effort and advertising dollars into things like untargeted direct mail or radio commercials in the hopes that someone who cares is both paying attention and will actually remember who they are and how to get their product or service. Forget the fact that there are 3000 people searching for [insert your product or service here] on Google each month. Smart business leaders today are raising their hands and stepping in front of these qualified lines instead of hoping to accidentally bump into someone that needs them through shotgun strategies. I’m not saying that other forms of advertising aren’t important. You just have to look at your objectives and ROI. So my advice to business leaders – adapt to the times and embrace the internet; it is cost-effective, has a targeted audience, and chances are that your competitors already have. After all, businesses at times do go the way of the Dodo. It’s just that we never hear about it because they weren’t marketing correctly in the first place.
