It’s generally acknowledged that the key to enjoying the fantastical world of science-fiction is the suspension of disbelief. The willing voidance of critical thinking and logic in understanding something that is unreal or impossible in reality.
Now many people might observe that, in many respects, this is not dissimilar to being successful at advertising. And at a creative or even strategic level they may well be right.
But when it comes to buying media, that’s where the science-fiction has to end.
Of course, in our efforts to explore strange new media worlds, we do sometimes have to go where no media person has gone before. So when we encounter a previously undetected media life form which suddenly manifests itself in the mediaverse, it is incumbent on us to beam down and investigate.
Now this poses the question “Who would you rather take with you to confront the alien life form”? Mr Spock or Sigourney Weaver? Tempted as I may be, I’m going to leave Barbie out of this discussion.
On a personal level, I would have to admit that being trapped in deep space with Sigourney Weaver has a certain appeal. But screaming at aliens rarely gets a positive outcome. Assuming what we all want in media is to live long and prosper, on balance I would probably favour Spock as my companion explorer.
Spock always has a rational plan.
When I wrote my first text book Media Planning – Art or Science back in the ’90s it was closer toStar Trek the Original Series than it is to the present day, but in that text there I mention something called the W-Plan which is still relevant today. A plan for verifying the credibility of media research.
- Who did the research?
- Why did they do it?
- What did they do?
- When was it done?
- Where was it done?
I think Spock would have approved.
As Arthur Weasley’s said in Harry Potter – The Chamber of Secrets, “Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.”
Beam me up Scotty there are no recognisable media lifeforms down here.
Gordon Muller is Africa’s oldest surviving media strategist. Author of Media Planning – Art or Science. Mostly harmless! Read his Khulumamedia Blog here.
