by Emma King (@EmmainSA) So, hands up who saw the recent demise of HMV, the UKs biggest music retailer, coming?
“It was obvious,” we all scoff.
“We could all see that was going to happen,” we scorn. 
“They didn’t move fast enough and they didn’t keep up with the times,” we nod wisely. “And they didn’t diversify quick enough to develop a business model around online purchases.”
But what about Atari, another company that also went bust this year? An old company, but one with a strong brand synonymous with gaming, the new ‘music’. How did they get it so wrong as to become obsolete? What does that mean for the rest of us?
We know we are in a time of constant change. The world insists we be faster and more adaptable and ever more transparent, while consumers become ever more critical and vocal.
We are scared to make mistakes – we can be publicly ridiculed and consumers (and the rest of the industry) are quick to jump on the back of anyone who blunders. We’ve seen brands fold, countries go into recession and corporate giants (Amplats anyone?) go from Goliath to David in the blink of the eye.
It’s tempting to find a formula that has worked and stick to it – to stand still. The concept of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is rife amongst people wanting to keep their jobs and meet their targets.
But in times of change isn’t standing still the biggest risk of all? Isn’t continuing to do what we have always done the most foolhardy approach?
Corporate giants who were not quick enough to change their business model (take note ad agencies) have crashed out of business. HMV tried, at the eleventh hour, to diversify into gaming, but they weren’t quick enough.
Where some people see change as an obstacle, others see opportunity. Developers of M-Pesa in Kenya didn’t let the lack of bank accounts or internet access stop them developing a new way of banking, which the rest of the world is looking to learn from.
Or what about Vice magazine, faced with an uncertain future and declining profitability? They upweighted their creative services team, formed an in-house content creation agency and began playing the dual role of publisher and agency.
Embrace change and use obstacles as a challenge to develop new ways of working.
As agencies, we need to question the norm and try new things. We need to stop being constrained by what we have always done or what we think our job description entails. We need to question where our responsibilities end and look to ways in which we can really innovate, challenge thinking, and make a real difference to our client’s bottom line and reputation.
And clients – give it a go. Dare to try something new. By all means use research and consumer insights to guide thinking, but let your instincts give you the confidence to be innovative and grow your brands.
Emma King is Head of PR at The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town). She is a columnist for MarkLives on PR and communication issues. You can find her on Twitter at @EmmainSA
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