It’s not uncommon to see newbie, tech-savvy, social marketers display their impatience with the “grey brigade”. It’s equally common to see experienced, mature heads shaking disapprovingly at Generation Y who are “still green behind their ears”. The challenge in many B2B marketing situations is that it’s either the ‘grey’ or the ‘green’ in a position of power and calling the shots. Now ideally, the two should blend well so that new age technologies can be optimally leveraged with the valuable mingling of experience.
Corporate America is seeing the increasing surge of the Millennials taking on critical marketing leadership roles. They have all the knowledge of and experience with using social media, marketing automation and advanced technologies. In contrast, the Baby Boomers may lack the frenzied enthusiasm to update their Facebook page several times a day or Tweet 24/7 or “connect” with business associates daily via LinkedIn. What they do have, however, and in sumptuous measure, is the matchless wisdom of tried and true marketing strategies.
Why Pit “Proven” Vs. “Struggling to Prove”? Take the best of both!
Counter to what is common belief, age and experience does not make a person inflexible or unenthusiastic. As a matter of fact, because these marketers have stayed their course and seen success follow success with B2B marketing processes, there are no ego-issues or pressure to “prove” their worth. This allows for greater adaptability and an eager willingness to try something new. More importantly, because there is a track record of demand generation success, the grey brigade has the maturity to apply experience and thought leadership to make new processes work just as well as the old.
Newer techniques and technologies along with the freshness of thought are all a very sexy combination. But at the end of the day, what matters most is lead generation results and marketing effectiveness. Capturing mindshare cannot be a fleeting moment; in order to drive conversion and sales, it must have lasting value. Organizations are starting to realize that they need a seamless merger of experience and tech-savvy to achieve marketing targets and stay competitive. The wisdom and experience of the old boosts the agility and speed of the new. Everybody wins!
What is the composition of your organization’s marketing department? Is there is a good balance of the old and the new? Leave me your thoughts.
