If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in nearly 20 years of working in emerging technology is that there are no absolutes. One-hundred percent adoption is unrealistic. More importantly, it’s not the yardstick that we as marketers should use.
The question is whether your customers and prospects are engaged or will be engaged in one or more innovation. If you deem the number meaningful, proceed. If it’s low or not even moving the needle at all, move more deliberately. Or move on.
It’s impractical, and frankly unwise, to throw your efforts around every new technology. But standing still is even a worse path.
“Innovation is not an option,” Kirsten Ward, General Manager, Integrated Marketing for Modern Life & Devices, Microsoft, said recently. “It is not icing on the cake. You need to create a culture that is curious. The expectation is that people don’t use the same playbook. You have to create boundaries and fail fast.”
I’ll add that despite all the challenges, morphing is invigorating. Ride those winds of change and adapt. You and your customers, not to mention your businesses, will be better for it.