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A few weeks ago I attended a party put on by a couple. Their relationship is interesting in that they each have their own distinct group of friends. They are different from an upbringing, professional and social perspectives.

It became obvious very rapidly that there was tension between these two groups. While the goal of both groups was to have fun and be entertained, their means by which to achieve it were greatly different. It was a very awkward situation that only ended when one group departed from the event.

This really got me thinking about companies who are trying to communicate with customers and prospects. While you may have a product that is a strong solution for different groups you really need to do you homework and make sure your message and communication style correctly target your audience based on their personality and expectations. If you don’t get this right, while your intentions may be good, could blow up in your face and produce the opposite results.

I quite often hear clients talk about how non-tech savvy their customers and prospects are. While I agree there are individuals that simply have a hard time comprehending a web interface or are just too scared to try, they make up the very small minority. If we let this small group dictate how we communicate with the larger audience we are doing the majority a great disservice. If you ran a restaurant would you stop accepting credit cards because you have a couple of customers that only pay with cash?

We also need to look at the rapid growth and adoption of Internet technologies in our every day lives. While a few years ago it could have been considered a trendy and youthful medium that is no longer the case. Most Americans are connected and use the web on a daily basis for communication, research and purchasing. If everyone were as ignorant as some like to portray this would not be the case.

Lets give our users a little more credit. After all, 74% of the U.S. population currently has Internet and uses it regularly. Instead of dropping our efforts to the lowest common denominator let’s help move everyone forward and create solutions that not only work today but also help drive business into the future.

I love zombie movies. There is something that has always excited me about the danger of an oncoming zombie apocalypse. How would I react and is it possible to be prepared? How can you stop the single minded, autopilot zombie when it approaches you?

During my train of deep thought I realized that in a way I have become a zombie myself. Not the brain eating, shuffling kind, but the brain-numb digital kind. I whole-heartedly admit that I surf the web almost continuously. Whether I am at work, on my laptop at home or my iPhone, I am hardly ever disconnected for more than 30 minutes at a time.  As a person with an insatiable thirst for knowledge I am always reading. The problem is that I often find myself just looking at drivel.

I frequent numerous, news, industry and entertainment sites looking for content. However, when there is not a specific topic I am looking for I tend to digitally graze. This can bring about some interesting topics and tidbits of knowledge but more often than not I waste an hour or more of my life and truly get nothing out of it. Imagine reading a book while thinking about numerous tasks you need to accomplish at home and at work. You simply won’t retain any of the information you consume. While you may have a general emotional sensation regarding the contents of the book the actual meat will be left on the pages.

With the continued proliferation of new online content providers and aggregators and the new devices being sold to enhance our consumption of them, at what point do we just become brain-numb digital zombies? If we really aren’t paying attention while we surf, no ad or marketing message will get through to us. Have we already hit the apocalypse and just not noticed it?