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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 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?

While putting my son to bed tonight I read him the story of the Tortise and the Hare. This is a story I have read many times as both a child and an adult. The moral to the story is simple. Take your time to ensure that things you do are done well. Don’t rush around from thing to thing just because you can.

As marketers we can tend to focus on the latest trends looking for the next silver bullet. Well, while we may get lucky from time to time, we probably waste more time than we should on unproven tactics.

I’m not implying we shouldn’t try new things but let’s be sure to temper our ambitions and make sure we work hard on a few things to bring them to fruition. Remember slow and steady wins the race.