Hidden Potential

       Seth Godin in his talk on TED.com spends 20 hilarious minutes discussing things that are broken. In this lecture, he talks about things present in his everyday life that he (and perhaps you) perceive as broken. “If I think it’s broken, it’s broken” he tells his audience as he shows slide after slide of examples split into 7 main categories: 1. Not my job, 2. Selfish jerks, 3. The world changed, 4. I didn’t know, 5. I’m not a fish, 6.Contradictions, and 7. Broken on purpose. These ideas inspired him to co-create a website called www.thisisbroken.com where users can upload their own personal “broken” experiences.

       Mr. Godin’s passion is evident in every word he speaks. It is as if the ideas are moving so quickly through his head, it’s all he can do to get them out at a speed that we can understand. He is most focused on the interaction between people and how these poorly designed situations devalue the customer experience.

                           

       I find this lecture particularly relevant because, although he focused on the things he has observed in everyday life, a lot of examples have to do with marketing. From Spam email, to signage, to product packaging, he explains how each one of these “problems” break the interaction between the audience and the intended message. He describes how many companies are not taking advantages of the possible continued relationships with their customers.  Marketing is a conversation between a company and its intended audience. Clear communication solidifies the relation between a company and its consumer. The poor execution of simple ideas can form barriers that hinder this relationship.

       What a great way to look at your marketing strategies regardless of the industry. Many companies, artists, etc. have such great ideas, but poor execution. Mr. Godin inspired me to look at my everyday environment and see what can be improved, then take action to fix it. This ties right in to what I do for my clients, problem solve. It’s not enough to notice something isn’t working, its time to do something about it and discover the hidden potential within your company, art, or product, and develop it.