Net is only part of the challenge

While Alan Mitchell’s excellent article “Marketers must grasp the Net or face oblivion” (MW February 18) makes its point well, it fails to go far enough in its assessment of the challenges facing marketers.

Principally, references to the Net are misleading. The revolution that we find ourselves in is about how technology is overturning all conventions of business. The Net is but one contributor to this. Mobile phone technology, digital TV, and satellite are also playing a significant part.

Secondly, and more importantly, marketing as a key function of business is changing dramatically. In the business age where paradigms will © shift more as leaps than in a convenient evolutionary way, organisations will need to be more nimble and adept than ever before. From a marketing perspective this means being able to do tomorrow what you did not contemplate today. In this topsy-turvy environment, successful organisations will be defined as those which are adept at managing productive relationships.

Understanding the Net is a relatively minor issue for marketers. Developing productive relationship strategies using technology as a facilitator is really where it’s at.

Francis Wyburd

Director

Geronimo Marketing & Communications