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Thanks for visiting Think. Now. Yes. This is an evolving resource center dedicated to exploring ways in which we might view the current volatile economic climate to be an opportunity for change and a better future.
TNY combines the years of experience I have working with brands and agencies in the social media and experiential marketing space with my background studying new religious movements during my Ph.D. studies at Princeton. As I learned how to successfully move branded messages across social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, as well as blogs and forums I came to recognize patterns in online behavior that were strikingly similar to how religious movements spread.
Although seemingly incongruous when people get caught up in theological questions, as human institutions religions in many signify the oldest and most resilient forms of branding on the planet. From the dawn of civilization to the present religions’ success has been contingent upon their ability to continually adapt, co-opt new technologies, change messages, and evolve to meet the needs of their communities and stay relevant in ways that most companies can only dream.
As I sat on a beach in Tulum, Mexico (pic above) it occurred to me how their resiliency and relevancy has little to do with the compulsive obsession most marketers have with Return On Investment (ROI) and statistical models that inform most advertising decisions. In fact, historically most religions that followed the status quo became replaced by newer practices who better related to people in more relevant ways.
I think the current economic crisis can be viewed as the culmination of greed and self-interested views of the world that date back to the colonial impulse. We simply need a different way of thinking rooted in values of inclusion and sharing that are perhaps best exemplified by the type of behavior people exhibit online. The technology we refer to as “social media” has made it possible to build meaningful relationships based on common interests in ways that are unprecedented in the history of humanity.
Think. Now. Yes. is dedicated to providing the resources and inspiration to survive and band together so we can redefine our future. This is our moment, we will overcome.
