I just got home from a few days in Boston. The highlight of my trip (besides, of course, seeing my sister) was attending a Tim McGraw concert. I was as giddy as a teenager. There is nothing like a live arts performance, and this one certainly did not disappoint.
I used to attend many concerts in my student activities days, and I couldn't help but be struck with how the concert experience has changed:
> Fans wanting an encore now wave cell phones in the air instead of lighters.
> There is a full array of merchandise, but hardly any of the CDs that used to be the concert staple
> The on-stage video production is as elaborate as the musical experience
> Instead of calling an usher, if someone was "interfering with your concert experience", you could just text your location to a number (and presumably it would be taken care of)
But the change that was most noticeable was how much photography has been embraced instead of banned. "Back in the day", there were vigilant efforts to police any camera or recording device that was within 100 yards of the venue. Purses and pockets were searched and the contraband had to remain at the gate. Ushers would roam the aisle and confiscate any camera that they saw.
Now there is an acknowledgement that almost everyone there carries a personal cell phone (aka camera and video recorder). So instead of fighting it, they now provide addresses where you can upload pictures and video during the concert and "share your experiences with Tim", as if he watches them on the big screen in his tour bus. Before the concert, the concert sponsor (another new development) handed out magnets with the web address for concert photos. The on-site videographer showed crowd shots on stage during the production. Overall, there was likely more photos from this one event than in a whole tour previously.
Think about your organization. Is there something that you have been fighting or insistent on banning that just isn't worth the effort? What would happen if you reversed the trend and embraced the phenomenon instead? Can the energy you put into enforcement be re-directed toward capitalizing on the client's desire to be engaged?
I am sure the music industry did not make the decision easily to allow their copyrighted material to be so freely distributed. But I think they are better off because of it. Maybe there's something out there that you can let go of too.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
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