It was March 1984.
Rowdy Roddy Piper, then professional wrestling’s #1 villain, was hosting an interview segment on WWF TV called “Piper’s Pit.”
After spending several minutes antagonizing a struggling, out-of-shape, never-was wrestler named Frankie Williams, Piper assaulted him on set. He then screamed into the camera something that has stuck with me to this day:
“Just when they think they have the answers, I change the questions.”
Is there a better tagline for the evolution of social media than this?
The capabilities and players are constantly changing – seemingly just when you think you have a handle on them.
MySpace was doing just fine before Facebook came along. As much as Facebook changed the world, Twitter isn’t far behind. And the visual elements introduced into the industry by Pinterest and Instagram have been game-changers at best and a really big deal at worst.
As marketers, we are constantly knocked off our feet by the next, the new, the fantastic.
So what does it all mean?
For insight, I’ll turn to another great athlete of the 20th century, Babe Ruth:
Perhaps, in marketing, it’s healthy to never rest on our laurels. The technology and standards are forever evolving. What’s “in” now may be “out” tomorrow.
Our job is to take full advantage of the latest trends within the boundaries set by our clients and companies.
But we must also pay attention to what’s coming down the road…so when the questions inevitably change, we’ll be prepared with the right answer.
(Mar…
One last thing I meant to say was that my father loves to use that Babe Ruth quote and I never knew where it originated until now, thanks!
Great analogy! I was a young WWF fanatic as a kid myself and remember this as well.