Living in a World of Change

Living in a World of Change

To say that we live in a world of change would be an understatement. In the last 30 years, we have seen changes from postal service to faxes, to email, and couriers. We have witnessed the rise and fall of videos to live TV, and to live streaming versus traditional television. Our news no longer comes from newspapers, the 6:00 p.m. newscast, or radio, but from user-generated content on social feeds. Communication has gone from landlines to cellular, to email, to text, to DM. Our sponsorship programs were between sponsors and rights holders, but now they are between sponsors, rights holders, and the audience. QR codes and virtual experiences through  online, virtual reality, augmented reality, and geo caching for what we once called scavenger hunts are all part of activation versus hanging a banner, or sampling beer or food at a festival.

There has been much change in our worlds—and technology has been at the root of most of it. Recently, I was in a conversation with two industry professionals. We were talking about change—and it was fun.

Our random segue to what has not changed was even more intriguing. We agreed that even through the pandemic, our missions and visions have not changed. The mission and vision of the health charity is still focused on providing the best care and medical outcome possible for the most patients effectively and efficiently. The mission and vision in the sports and arts worlds has not changed either. It is still to entertain ticket holders/patrons so they leave feeling that they received value for their money and experience. And finally, on the sponsorship agency side, our mission and vision has not changed. We are still here to serve, to help properties generate more bottom-line revenue while providing incremental value and ROI for their partners. For our brand side clients, it still remains our mission to support them with the sponsorship marketing investment to gain the best possible partnership that will deliver the best ROI for their investment dollars.

We all agreed that our missions and visions have not changed. We also agreed that three elements must change if these missions and visions are to succeed.

  • Technology is key. We need to adapt and adopt newer and more effective technology to ensure our benefactors (audiences, patrons, and clients) are receiving the best possible product and outcome when and how they want to receive it at an effective and cost-efficient price.
  • Mental health is critical. Gone should be the days of long hours and “giving your life” to the organization. We will need to understand when people need time off and that, when someone is not well because of a cold or other illness, they should stay home and get better rather than saying, “I have to be at the office. I cannot let the team down!” We need to support the wellness and mental health of our teams and partners.
  • Relationships are critical. We learned through the pandemic that both our personal/home relationships and our B2B relationships need to be nurtured. They need to be much deeper than before the pandemic, and they must be authentic. We must truly care—no superficial “get the deal and move on.”

As we move through Q4 of this year, start thinking about what has and has not changed in your organization. Are your mission and values still the same, or has something altered, and if so, why? And what has changed? Are you more focused (like the rest of us) on relationships, mental health awareness, and technology, and if so, how are they helping you to achieve your unwavering mission and values?

Come join me later this month at the WSC – Alberta Forum. Let’s ask others and talk about what has changed and what has remained the same in our organization over the last two and-a-half or so years!

I hope to see you in Edmonton next month!

© 2022 All rights reserved.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 
Share This