Elevate THINK BEYOND

The other day I was talking with some friends about movies that we loved growing up that turned out to be awful once we were old enough to know any better. I get a pretty hard time for my unabashed love of Jingle All The Way, but it’s definitely a fact that some things age over time in unpleasant ways. As I drove home from that conversation, LIT’s “My Own Worst Enemy” came on the radio and as I air-drummed my way down Dodge St., the song got me thinking.

I’ve been a fan of movies and music my entire life. Growing up I was into some pretty embarrassing stuff, but once I got into high school and learned to play guitar I gradually became the incredibly cultured individual with absolutely flawless taste you are reading today. Some things I loved when I was in school remain awesome while others have…well…not remained awesome. Why have some things stood the test of time, while others have become nothing more than caricatures of an era mocked by hipsters? In searching, I think I’ve found some trends that can offer some possible answers.

1) It fits a certain aesthetic or fashion.

Starship vs. U2. Granted, their heydays were before I was born so I’m using them as examples with caution, however, just Google some of the lyrics and you’ll see what I mean.

 ”We built this city
we built this city on rock & roll”
– vs –
“So we’re told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage”

One lyric is built on the idea that “rock and roll is so cool man! I want to rawk so hard!” – largely an idea based on the fashion of the time. One lyric actually has a bit of meat to chew on – something to keep the listener around after the initial impact of the song has worn off. “We Built This City” sounds epic while listening to it. but after the initial “this sounds cool” phase, there’s nothing meaningful left. Also, A city built out of Marshall amps is only awesome for like 2 seconds until you’re trying to figure out how to run an HVAC system. I kid, but “We Built This City” doesn’t come from a real feeling…not that all songs need to be realistic…but when they are basically just exploiting the in-crowd for a quick buck, longevity can’t be expected. Fashion by nature changes, and soon the idea of rocking all the time will no longer be the bees knees.

2) The people involved.

Sometimes things get popular solely because of the people involved in it. Imagine it’s the mid-90s. The radio turns on and you catch the tail end of a commercial that says “…starring George Clooney, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Chris O’Donnell. Coming to a theater near you soon!” Chances are if I heard that I would search to figure out what movie the commercial was talking about; at the time that was an awesome cast. I would assume it’s going to be a great movie. I would not only go see the movie, I would probably even be likely to buy it. If I hadn’t seen the movie in the theater and saw it in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart, it wouldn’t be hard to talk myself into the expenditure. I will now casually reveal the film of which I am speaking. It is, of course, Batman & Robin.

[Pause for the heartbreak to wear off]

Theoretically, this movie should be perfect for me. The fact that it’s a Batman movie should lend it more excitement on my part. Batman & Robin was loved by children everywhere, full of a great cast, yet in reality one of the worst films of all time. The poor directing, story…basically everything but the cast – and even somewhat the cast as far as acting-quality is concerned…ruined what could have been great. It was critically derided and viewed largely as a failure. Even still, according to IMDB, it made over $130 million dollars while in the theaters, and another $58 million in rentals. That’s a lot of $5 movie tickets. It made a ton of money, was super popular, and is still lame 15 years later.

Another example…Spiderman 3. ‘Nuff said.

3) It’s popular…so it must be good, right?

Some people like things simply because they are popular – boy bands, reality tv, JNCO jeans, cigarettes, the actual song Gangnam Style (video excluded – that thing is hilarious). If the popular thing is built on fashion (#1 on this list), the popularity will naturally wane. Once the cool kids move on, it’s only a matter of time until everyone else does too.

So what can we learn from this? What makes something stick around? While its impossible to predict a hit…to force a Fortune 500 company that lasts 100 years into existence…and eventually everything reaches a point where it looks dated…there are some easy pitfalls we can avoid that can prevent whatever it is from becoming a joke. Think about “The Dark Knight” vs “Batman & Robin.” In “The Dark Knight” Christopher Nolan was making something honest as opposed to a cartoon. The emotion and passion behind “New Year’s Day” by U2 is a real feeling that lasts beyond the cheesy nature of “We Built This City (On Rock And Roll).” Things don’t have to be serious to last, but they do have to be rooted in something genuine and natural, offering something of true value to the person on the other side.

Even the lasting fashion brands aren’t solely built on fashion. They’re focused on the product and company’s connection to the people. They do that by always changing the deliverable, releasing new lines all the time. The strategy, however, is completely separate from it. The key to longevity lies in the quality and honesty of the product/service behind the touch points people interact with. The basis of what you’re trying to do – whatever it is you’re trying to do – needs to be rooted in providing something of quality, and not relying on gimmick, fashion, having a celebrity involved, or dishonesty to do it.

What else have you noticed that keeps products/companies/ideas from succeeding? Are you properly communicating the true value of your product or service? Let us know what you think in the comments below!