I heard this the other day and really rather liked it.
It’s not easy to define what we do, or even what media really is. (As a case in point, try explaining what you do to your parents).
But what if we instead described media as ‘energy’. Not in the tree hugging, ginger tea sipping hippy sense, but the notion that if we’re in the job of ‘ideas’, then media provides the energy behind that idea. To ignite, push or force the idea from a concept into a part of every day life.
Sounds wishy washy? Ok, possibly. But take ‘Eyebrows‘ as a case in point. The idea was simple; an invitation or challenge to people to replicate the kids featured in the AV.
If that was the key thought, then the job of media was to provide the tools and platform for people to do this. To challenge and enable. In short, provide the energy behind this idea and make it real. Hence the MSN take over with in-built ‘record your dance’ feature. That’s not just placement, it’s the energy that brings an idea to life.
Maybe it’s just because thinking about media as energy makes it sound a smidgen more exciting. But there’s something nice about it as a thought, especially when we take this thought into how we plan media. Take an idea, give it energy, give it life.
Or just hug a tree.
Energy image by Schwarzerkater on flickr
