Exponential advances in technology have been changing the societal landscape for awhile now. Entire industries are being redefined and millions of jobs are impacted in the face of these disruptive forces. Trends become increasingly fickle and ongoing innovation leads to new processes and pathways on a daily basis. What seemed trendy yesterday becomes passe’ today amidst all of this change.
It has become abundantly clear that lifelong learning and the ability to think differently will be the key to both individual and collective success. No one can accurately predict the future, but the future of work will clearly require new skills; and more importantly, require lifelong learners to possess the requisite knowledge to meet the needs and demands of the marketplace. Disruption is clearly here to stay. And the only constant is defining your brand by the clients you serve.
It seems easy to think that we must challenge the status quo and innovate just like everyone else. The status quo, however, doesn’t exist because technology and change don’t sit still. Only a deep understanding of the marketplace will sustain you through technological innovation and any other changes that come your way. It follows that lifelong learning begins with great conversations with your client base.
Every marketing professional is facing adversity due to constant change. There will be a lack of time, not enough resources, outdated facilities, resistant colleagues, and a slew of directives that make up the obstacles in front of us. It will be difficult to envision and implement progressive change when you feel buried by these daily obstacles. Consequently, we must embrace the challenges through the constant learning that comes from engagement with the people we mean to serve.
Speaking of lifelong learning, this issue is chock full of it. Our cover story, “The Age of Execution,” identifies the challenges and bottlenecks within the marketing operational team and how to work through them. And in our second feature, “Lean on Me,” we discuss one of the critical issues of the day—the marketing supply chain. We wanted to shine a light on why it not only is important to identify strong supply chain partners, but also how consistently strengthening these relationships is critical.
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Enjoy and warmest regards,
