Marketing time travel

“Marketing in a Socially Networked World” was the subtitle for the American Marketing Association’s Summer Educators Conference this past weekend in Chicago. My expectations included lots of spirited discourse around the established social networks like Facebook, Twitter, etc., thoughts on the next step in social marketing, some ROI debate and talk about ongoing implications of a two-way consumer conversation.  I figured the conference hashtag would be blowing up with inspiration.  Right?

Wrong. Instead I found myself plunged into ten years into the past by the paltry participation in the twitter conference hashtag.   Less than 10 of the over 800 marketing educators attending the conference posted via the conference hashtag on Twitter.

It was a disturbing insight into our population of marketing educators who don’t appear to be participating in one of the major tools of social networking.  Undoubtedly social networking is one of today’s most important relevant marketing manifestations.   If educators aren’t participating, are they teaching it?  My guess is no.

The amount of theoretical consideration required for research and doctoral dissertation appears to have eclipsed the need for keeping up with dominant themes in real-time marketing.  I am not saying that research should be abandoned.  But it’s time to make sure marketing educators teach relevant marketing.  In this case of social networking it means that marketing educators should do a better job of practicing what they teach.