Let’s face it, most people don’t like change.  Not only don’t they like it, but they also don’t handle it very well.  But not us marketers, right?  We embrace change and, perhaps, even make our livings exploiting it, right?

Well, let me ask you this.  Let’s imagine your business just had a banner year.  Sales were up.  Profitability was up.  Your customers are happy.  The planning season for the next fiscal rolls around and you saunter into the meeting and talk about all the things you are going to do differently this next year.  “What?” leadership cries.  “Let’s not fix what isn’t broken!”

Anything like that ever happen to you?  This gets at a fundamental issue with our understanding of what change is.  I think it is best summed in this passage from BMC2013 speaker Tom Asacker’s latest book “The Business of Belief“:

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The Real Definition of Insanity

During a recent conversation, my daughter crowned an argument by reciting a popular saying.

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Clever kid.

“Perhaps,” I replied.

“But isn’t it also insane to do the same thing over and over and expect the same results?”

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This is it.  This is where great brands make that sharp turn into oblivion.  They assume that if they keep doing what worked in the past, they will be equally as successful in the future.  But this assumes that everything else stays the same – and it doesn’t!  Ever.

The world is change.  Everything else is insane illusion.

Don’t miss Tom Asacker and 13 other amazing speakers at Brand ManageCamp 2013, Sept 16-17 in Las Vegas.  June 28th is the last day to save $300…

Special thanks to Hugh MacLeoad at Gapingvoid.com for the cartoon!