I’m a huge fan of history, I’ll read, watch and listen to anything I can get my hands on. But what really amazes me, is the absolute massive leap mankind has made in the last twenty years.

At the heart of this stupendous leap, is the sharing of ideas and information through the internet and the spread of its accessibility through the cell phone. Twenty years ago we saw the commercial introduction of this incredible device, primitive by today’s standard. Pause for a moment and think about this… it’s only been twenty years. I haven’t reached the dreaded forty yet and even I can remember when they first came out. That means that the power we now hold in the palm of our hands, just stepped out of the teenage years. That’s pretty exciting because it means that the unpredictable, temperamental stage is now over and the future is wide open for exploration.

This young and powerful device has given the advertising industry a direct line to communicate with us. It’s become as personal an item to us, as the very clothing we wear. I don’t think there has been a time this exciting for an industry, since the invention of the printing press. Just like then, information is cheap and easy to gain access to. We as an industry have needed to evolve, as we find new and intuitive ways to entertain and entice an ever skeptical audience.

One thing is certain, having an online strategy is no longer an additional avenue of contact, it’s become a companies very lifeblood. But many companies are at a loss for where to begin attaching themselves to the market, because let’s face it, there are so many places to go. The informational revolution continues to consume and platforms to engage your audience are mushrooming everywhere.

But none of this really matters – one fundamental truth remains:

We, as human beings, still relate to the things our ancestors did a thousand years ago. No matter how quickly the world changes on a technological level – great visual storytelling and personal one on one communication is still gold. I can’t stress enough the importance of starting a video strategy and making use of this opportunity. People don’t read as much as they used to and studies have proven that video is 800% more effective in getting those clicks. If someone told you, that you could be 800% more effective in your communication with clients, is that not the route to take?

As storytellers, we now find ourselves empowered by a new set of tools and a creative edge, that twenty years ago we couldn’t have imagined. We can TALK to customers through something they carry on them all day long and the better the story is, the longer we’ll all watch, we can’t help it.

In another twenty years from now, people will marvel at the technological revolution we’re currently living in and pay homage to the individuals and companies that drive us forward. We’re making history, take a moment to appreciate that.