We’re all familiar with the feeling that bubbles up when a web page doesn’t refresh quickly enough, or a video takes longer than a few seconds to buffer. Reload rage, if you will. A minute feels like eternity when you’re used to things taking half a second.
While the advent of the Internet put our culture of speed into overdrive, our obsession with speed isn’t new. Humans are an ambitious species, always asking: “How far can I get, and how soon can I get there?”
This obsession is a fundamental and useful aspect of the human condition. It’s what drives us to go make the impossible, possible. It beckons us forward to strive for greatness. It’s the very element of our soul that says, “This recipe will take thirty minutes to cook? F**k it, let’s just Seamless.”
Naturally, this obsession with speed also appears in business. We all want to go fast and be first. We are disruptors, first-movers, and innovators in a world driven by the ethos, refresh, reload, react.
Sure, the market rewards speed. But what it rewards more is a job well done. The proof is in a phrase we’ve all heard a thousand times. It’s something you often hear spoken about famous inventors, or the world’s most innovative companies:
“Well, they weren’t the first to do it, but they were the first to perfect it.”
It pays to be fast, but it pays more to stay in business. Being first to market is great. Knowing what to do once you get there is better. Speed is only one element of a successful business today. The other element is direction.
At a time when a PR headache is just one careless Tweet away and the average lifespan of a company is just 15 years, now more than ever it’s critical to take a step back to think, to consider and to understand.
That’s why we’ve dedicated this issue of Unfiltered to the study of velocity. The formula for velocity is speed with direction. Or, as we’ve come to define it, speed with intention.
Why intention? Because to reach a goal, you have to have one in mind. Your target needs to be defined, but your approach must be flexible and balanced. Finally, you have to remember your audience, and know how you’ll inspire them to action.
In other words, it’s about precision, flexibility, balance, and connection. We have all the resources to help you get started:
Precision
To reach a goal, you have to have one in mind. Watch our video to see precision in action.
Flexibility
Today, businesses are faced with new challenges that require real-time action, and adaptability is critical. Your strategy must be created to evolve.
Think you’ve got what it takes to navigate the twists and turns of marketing? Take our quiz to find out.
Balance
Brands with staying power balance speed with intention. Our CEO Alexander Jutkowitz writes about why intention is the new disruption.
Connection
A great strategy inspires your audience to action. Learn more about how to reach them.
Together, these elements form the foundation of a thoughtful, considered strategy. They give speed its intention.
Explore this issue of Unfiltered to see how these elements come to life, and to learn more about how to apply velocity to your own efforts. Ready, set, go.
Animation by Tyler Hach.
