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Our CEO, Paul Davies, delves into the impact of the “need-it-now” effect on comms strategies.
Speed is relative. Something to do with the space time continuum apparently.
While I’m not sure about the maths of that, I do know that as a seven-year-old, Christmas seemed to arrive at n + infinity days.
The trouble is, we’re all seven-year-olds now.
We have become shaped by the feeling that something can be done, fixed, created and delivered almost instantly.
I’m the same. I expect my pizza, car, test results, booking confirmation to happen almost instantly. We’ve been schooled on the ‘power of now’ and we’re seduced by the promise of a future where the heavy lift is near-instantaneous.
This is brilliant. Until the real-world tells us we’re just going to have to wait.
Does this matter? Well maybe not if you’re trying to flog me a new iPhone that will write inane messages to my mates or summarise a work email. Or if you’re telling me that I can’t possibly live without a fibre upgrade to my house.
But if you want me to set aside money for my pension, fund a new rail route or support tax rises to rewire the UK? Then, it matters quite a lot.
And this is where the challenge lies for businesses and brands that still operate in the economy of three dimensions. How do you explain that some things take time and keep people with you?
Here’s my slowly thought through checklist:
1. Tell us why it’s important
If I’m going to put money into a pension each month, tell me why delayed gratification is worth it. Find ways to engage me, show me people that have taken this approach – scare me even. Or engage behavioural scientists and harness its potential.
2. Don’t lie about it
Big things are complex – don’t kid yourself or the taxpayer that the heavy lift doesn’t exist (I’m looking at you HS2 and you Mr Miliband). If something is harder and takes longer than we thought, we’ll feel betrayed. The Daily Mail will tell us we are, at least. Own it from day one.
3. Make a virtue of the struggle
Don’t pretend something is easy to deliver. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth putting up with all that comes with it. Cheaper to build high-speed rail in Spain? Fine – the country is empty compared to the UK, but we will find a path to deliver it. New electricity grid connectors are tricky? We were the first to industrialise – don’t try telling us that it’s too difficult. Adopt a campaign mindset and galvanise opinion.
4. Fall out first
The longest journey may indeed start with a single step, but it can quickly turn into an ordeal if people think they’re going to a different destination.
That’s why I’ve always thought that it’s better to disagree at the start than at the end. I’m not talking about faux consultations. I’m talking about getting differences out in the open and rehearsing the arguments before you start. Discuss the ‘if this, then that’ scenarios and explain this to your audiences and stakeholders (and yes, your investors too).
5. Milestones not millstones
HS2 is doing a better job of this now with regular updates on its progress along with video content that shows the scale and complexity of the project. Organisations should find their virtual viaducts and celebrate every significant milestone on their journey whether that’s money raised, track laid or megawatts saved.
The above is plainly common sense. But if we neglect to apply it – and only ever ‘move fast and break stuff’ we’ are doomed to fail at the speed of light.