When Change Overtakes the Changers, Watch Out!

Posted on | September 15, 2006 | Comments Off on When Change Overtakes the Changers, Watch Out!

Twenty-five years ago, MTV revolutionized TV by going direct to kids, in their language, on their issues, with their images. They benefited greatly by being first to market with a new idea.

With 82 million monthly visitors to their channel, and healthy brand extension, they should be feeling pretty good. But they’re not. Why? Because change has gotten ahead of the changers. MTV was slow to recognize new media, and before they knew it, they were trailing a high-speed train. Their website, MTV Overdrive, delivers fewer than 4 million unique visitors a month. Compare that to other kid-favorite video websites:

Yahoo Video – 21 million
MySpace Videos – 20 million
YouTube – 16 million
MSN Video – 15 million
AOL Video – 12 million

There’s a lesson here for traditional health care leaders with an interest in Continuing Consumer Education (CCE). In order to be leaders in an electronic information-based field, you must lead the movement. We are not leading this movement at this time. And that worries me — a lot!