The Conflict Of Media… And Digital Media

Well, this is uncomfortable.

I spend a lot of time – in boardrooms and on stages across the world – trying to explain to brands why a digital marketing agency is so fundamentally different from a lot of traditional advertising and media agencies. It can get uncomfortable. There is no doubt that many of these traditional institutions have done a great job, at adding in digital services, hiring the right people, or have attempted to transform their businesses. In a simplistic way, my train of thought is this: while many agencies and companies are doing their best to transform into being more (or fully) digital, this is the kind of work that Mirum has been doing for the brands that we work with for over fifteen years. So, while traditional agencies try to evolve and transform, we have been what they are trying to become for over a decade. There is a difference. Chris Hughes was one of the founders of Facebook. He then went on to be an integral component in the online organizing for Barack Obama‘s 2008 presidential campaign. After that, he purchased the magazine, The New Republic. His Silicon Valley approach to the traditional magazine/publishing legacy created a well-documented friction with some of the best journalists in America. Hughes recently discussed the situation on Charlie Rose. It’s a tough watch. On one hand, the evolution to digital is one that Hughes is very capable of leading. On the other hand, it feels like Rose is schooling a second year journalism student on what it means to be a journalist, and in the media. No matter which side you may choose to defend, one thing is for certain: we are not yet through this moment of purgatory. The new entities will continue to disrupt. The traditional entities will claim that they have already migrated, but the truth will be obvious to most.

If you’re fascinated with media, you must watch this…