Selecting the right tools

As Christmas / the Holidays rolls rapidly along, and people’s minds start musing on just how much money is deemed an acceptable amount of money with which one can buy oneself a present, without it appearing self-indulgent/greedy/selfish, I’ve started wondering what makes people choose, what is often the wrong tech?!

I’m thinking specifically about work and the professional environment here, that started this train of thought! I recently acquired a Blackberry Passport for work. I could have chosen any device, but find that the BB does exactly what I need from a work device…email, opening and editing Office docs without the need for reformatting, my full work calendar and a battery that lasts me a full day (over 2 days to be precise) etc. So if it can do all this, why are iPhones or Android devices so coveted by professionals and in the work place? Apps I hear – and often read – are the big difference. But what apps do I actually need that I can’t get on a BB? Maps, got them. Browser, got it. Whatsapp, yup. LinkedIn, yes. So I can only surmise then that its more fashionable and perhaps a status symbol, as I struggle to see that there is truly any additional value an iPhone for example brings, compared to a less expensive BB.

This thought carries across to tablets too. So many companies are iPad crazy. Again, why? The Windows tablets are perfect for the workplace. You can get all you mail accounts, open and edit Office docs again with ease etc. So whats the fuss with the iPad? Retina display, do you really care when using a device at work? I’m not sure it makes any discernible difference! Fashion over function!

So then I started thinking about digital marketing activity. At the moment content marketing is all the rage. Why? is it because some agency stated that it should be? Is there some digital marketing path that we should all be following? Who says we should be focused on this, especially when there’s no conclusive data that says it works. It feels to me like someone makes a suggestion and everyone, again to be seen to be doing the right thing (on trend), jumps on the train. Is it about content, or value? Inbound or outbound?

My suggestion and advice is, do what you/your business needs to do. All these trends and fashions might work for one, but certainly not all. It should be about fit for purpose not a fashionable fit!