The other day I posted this question to a college blog I was writing for and I thought that you might be interested as well.

How should a university be teaching subject matter when, with the present information revolution that has been going on for the past ten years, changes things almost on a daily basis?  This new available information does not have much of an impact on the hard sciences (chemistry, bio-chemistry, physics or medicine) nor does it impact history, philosophy, music or the languages.  However, sociology, business, marketing and communications are changing, literally, daily.

With the accessibility of the multitude of new platforms available and the mechanisms for people sharing information and conversation, societal norms are no longer normal. People are developing new expectations of companies and other people in general.  Sharing is becoming the norm.  Honesty is not just expected but required and interaction is demanded.

You know I have a love of statistics and one of the most common I get a kick out of is:  4 out of 5 pediatricians recommend X.  This is the same thing as saying, 1 out of 5 pediatricians would not recommend X.  Or to belabor this further, 20% of ALL pediatricians would NOT recommend X.  So now, are you going to give X to YOUR kid?

Now the real funny thing about this is, parents are learning not to believe (or even look at) this claim in advertising.  Instead, they will go on Facebook and ask their friends or even go to Twitter and ask the world for their advice.  There is becoming less and less of a need for advertising and even less of a reason to believe claims in advertising.  I don’t have to believe or trust you any longer.  I have access to enough people to ask, that I can find 2 or 3, or 300, which have a firsthand experience with you.  They have nothing to gain or lose from telling me the truth about you or your product.

In the world of everyday issues, collective wisdom is the determinate of the choices being made.  As platforms expand, become the norm and are used throughout society, information will be garnered by means of the collective wisdom of society.  Businesses, marketing firms and universities would be well advised to get out in front of it.

Photo by Gary Hayes