Break Perceived Rules
April 28, 2011
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As much as I love the marketing industry, there are a few things about it that irk me. One of which is the notion of perceived rules: they are perceived because there are no real repercussions for breaking them other than perhaps pissing someone off (which might be a good thing).
Rules about writing. About what you should and shouldn’t do in social media. Or about certain styles or approaches to communication. The truth is none of this stuff is immutable and you should break as many of the perceived rules around you as possible just to see what will happen. Especially if you aren’t sure why the rule exists. If you provoke change, you’ve already won.
That’s half the point of learning isn’t it? That’s why we chose marketing or PR: because we like to experiment, try things out, communicate different concepts to see what happens and use data to improve. But the actual rules part and how you execute is less formal than you think it has to be. Just go.
Does your organization have an insane rule about something they do with their communications processes that always bothered you? Something seriously getting in the way of reaching your market? It was probably put there by a legal team, a legacy generation marketer or even worse it is a political thing. Here’s your call to action: be like Jack Bauer and break the rule. See what happens. Especially if it is in their interest: permission, not forgiveness, always.
Those embracing improvisation and creativity will dominate those who refuse to get agile with their communications. The traditionalists are going to have to break a lot of rules to maintain relevancy and that’s a good thing. Perceived rules were meant to be broken.
In a world where startups are designing their communications to be effective from the ground up, your legacy organization is screwed if you’re going to hold on to your sacred cows. Time to change or be ignored.
Break things. Then make them better.
image credit: Shutterstock
Tony Faustino replied | Apr 28, 2011 (23 comments)
Break The Rules = Poke The Box.
Steve Bartol (AKA) The Great Horseman replied | Apr 29, 2011 (5 comments)
Hello eveybody, just got home, I was out breaking rules. At least I didn’t have to bond out this time. here’s a good one on breaking rules. i was trying to get to the decision maker for some digital media software we were selling. And me being a cowboy, just jumped right in, got through the screener, and was talking to the CIO, and the software was really awesome. Well he cut me off half way through, and I was just about to get to the value, and talked to me like I was a bonehead, and gave me a lecture, of course I cut him back off with no regard for his insults, and broke it off in his neck. Then I said to myself, wow, what did I do. Started building my resume’, then I stopped and started getting mad again. I wasn’t wrong, he was, so I called the CEO of Phelps Dodge, and left a message that went like this, I think the culture of your company sucks, your I just talked to one of your exec’s and he talked to me like a dirtbag, which I am not, when I had some extremely valuable information for your communication network that would have launched your company up to the front lines, and your profits are gonna hit ceiling, but he talked to me like some backwoods, deliverence, possum hunter, and I don’t care if you guys were the last business on the planet, I wouldn’t deal with you ever, now I’m gonna leave my number, but I know you won’t call me, cause the tail usually follows the head, but here’s my cell number, and I’m not talking to any screener, if there’s any respect at all in your company you’ll call me, but you won’t because if you hire people like that to work for you, chances are they’re just like you. He’ll lie, you’ll believe him, and here we go again.
Not only did I get a call back, it was the CEO in his car, after work, stuck in rush hour. I got an apology from him, and an opportunity to pitch him and the clown that talked bad to me, and an apology from him as well. We didn’t sell all the software to them but we did quite well. But that CIO was never really nice to me after that. But who cares I did my job,was effective, but it wasn’t done as well as I do that sort of thing these days, it was accidental. But an accident can work for you if you learn from it. So Adam I totally agree, we can’t punk ourselves out, but still should maintain a level of respect even when we drill the prospects back. Boy that was a mouthful.
Steve Bartol (AKA) The Great Horseman replied | Apr 30, 2011 (5 comments)
Tony I like that, Poke the Box, I beat the box somtimes. The “great brain robbery” is a good book, because if it ain’t broke, break it. Only when we push things to their limits, can we find the capacity. And maximum capacity +, = GROWTH, SO WHY EXCEPT LESS WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH MORE MARKET SHARE TO BE HAD. Go for the gold, silver doesn’t pay enough.
Thank you for shopping K-Mart
LinkMasters4All replied | May 18, 2011 (1 comment)
You need to break the rules to be a trendsetter and set yourself apart!