Much has been written about the effect of disruptive technologies in the media world. Advertising and communication being at the forefront of this so-called digital revolution.
I use the word revolution with great caution. Revolution usually implies the destruction of one order, while being replaced by another. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as: “A forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favour of a new system.” We bandy these words around with ever increasing alarm, and inaccuracy.
So let’s be provocative. Digital technology has not been a revolution. What it ushered in has been an amazing expansion of opportunity, opening up incredible ways of communicating with one’s audience. Just as Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press and movable type wasn’t a revolution in publishing books. Far from it; books had existed for hundreds of years. Gutenberg’s invention made them more accessible, opening them up to the general population in ways unheard of. What it did do is have a profound effect on the written word and the expansion of knowledge.
In 1440 no one could have predicted its influence.
Read the full article on The Guardian here.
