PHD Perspectives: "You're in Digital, Cool. So, uh, What Exactly Do You Do?" - Lance Neuhauser - MediaBizBloggers

Okay here39s the scenarioamp8230You39re at a dinner party or perhaps a family event There are a few random people in attendance Friends of friends distant family members or parents39 colleagues You39re exchanging niceties over the weather sports or perhaps the latest noncontroversial news story And then it happensamp8230quotSo what line of work are you inquotYour mind begins to race You immediately begin to assess the capacity for comprehension of this newly formed acquaintance You try to decide whether or not you want to go down the rabbit hole and engage this person at a deeper level or simply provide an acceptable answer that allows you to move to the next subject quickly and effectively without consequenceMeanwhile you have taken two sips of your beer and the silence still loomsYou answeramp8230quotI39m in Digitalquot Immediate internal dialogue ensues Son of aamp8230 You know better than that Well here we goamp8230quotYou39re in Digital cool So uh what exactly do you doquotBeen thereIf you39re currently making the face that tips off colleagues to the fact that you39re not looking at a spreadsheet you know the one typically reserved for reading morningafter Facebook status updates and newly received Someecards then I39ll take that as a quotyesquotHonestly who in this everchanging constantlybeingredefined field hasn39t beenChances are your company is struggling to answer what they do with respect to digital so how can you expect to have a welltailored coffee talk answerI39m sure you39ve tried and many of you may have your own standard answers Interactive marketing digital media digital development etc But deep down you know all of these are no better at defining your work then Webster is at defining the word definition the act of definingBut we all need to realize that if we39re not going to help define our very own core competencies and evolutionary practice development then we can expect to a Be misunderstood b Have a scope of work typically reserved for an entire branch of our military andor c Be placed into a very constricting professional growth boxIt39s on us folks It39s time for us to take a stab at defining our universe so we can set goals be successful and advance as business professionalsNow I happen to have a slightly different and perhaps more pressing motivation to help define what it is we do than career advancementAfter a longer than necessary work conversation with the soontobe inlaws and given the recognition of future engagement parties wedding showers and the big show I realized I need a conversation strategyI began to build my answerThe following was the internalized thought process and resultThe following was the internalized thought process and resultamp183 Digital analyticsamp8230yeah I do thatamp183 Engage with consumers in 2way dialogue through digital communication toolsamp8230totallyamp183 Assess consumer behavior to develop a marketing response planamp8230sureamp183 Research media planning project management account management and client serviceamp8230check check check check and checkamp183 Confuse myself more because each of the above requires total dedication and focus to be successful and none of them allows me to be cordial and brief at the partyamp8230um definitelyamp183 Clearly I need helpI then asked myself quotWhat would Hemingway do He39s the master of the six word storyquotGo go gadget InternetHere we are a story on 6 word stories from Wired Magazine I39m inspired and ready6 words that describe my work that I can use to both answer the question as to what I do and close the conversation if need beamp183 Digital Anthropology Socioeconomic Planning Investment Optimizationamp183 Banner Buyer Partnership Purveyor Contextual Connectualamp183 Digital Relationship Manager Marketing Investment Directoramp183 Like itamp8217s the Internet man Duhamp183 Back off What do you doHELP This isn39t workingI beg of you all to help me Seriously I39m counting on you The first engagement party is in 2 weeksPlease post your own responses or email meDon39t leave me or any of your fellow Digitalists out there to be scooped up by weird Uncle Jake and wacky Aunt ClaraLance Neuhauser EVP US Digital Director PHD Media an Omnicom Company You can follow PHD39s Twitter feed at httptwittercomPHDisSmartMediaRead all Lance39s MediaBizBlogger commentaries at PHD Perspectives MediaBizBlogger

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PHD Perspectives: "You're in Digital, Cool. So, uh, What Exactly Do You Do?" - Lance Neuhauser - MediaBizBloggers

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PHD Perspectives: "You're in Digital, Cool. So, uh, What Exactly Do You Do?" - Lance Neuhauser - MediaBizBloggers

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