Beyond pioneering and popularizing what is arguably one of the most revolutionary art forms of the last two decades – and some of the most meaningful recasting of pop culture since the work of Warhol – the video remix-master-DVJs of Eclectic Method are serving up the latest Holy Grail of communications: A glimpse into the experience of today’s multi-channel multi-media info-content consumers.
I’m talking about people like you and me who are surfing facebook, chatting online, fast-forwarding commercials to get to the next scenes of The Soup, writing a blog post and reading a magazine – simultaneously. The rapid rise of this type of consumer has been a hot topic at almost every communications conference or future-forward planning session over the past few years. And the same questions always arise: How do these people experience the world? How do they integrate and filter the copious amount of content coming from mainstream media and mainstream everyone else? How can we penetrate the chaos and get our message across? Really: WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE WANT?
In the words of Jonny Wilson, one-third of Eclectic Method, they want:
“A new narrative…[that’s fresh and] means something to people. The speed of turnaround is important because that’s literally the way the world is moving right now. People want an immediate response from culture.”
Maybe you’ve heard that before. But by carving together everything from music videos, soundbites from media heavyweights, kids heading home from the dentist, ad clips and great moments in popular culture, Eclectic Method brings the fragmented, constant experience of information and content into focus. I doubt you’ve ever seen it quite like this:
Eclectic Method - Radar Series Documentary Short from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.
Extrapolate this from the dance floor to the day in the life of the consumer. Each individual’s experience is its own unique remix. A constant intake of information and content; a subconscious “re-cutting” that sorts what’s important or interesting from what doesn’t matter; a prioritization that defines what each individual remembers, commits to, talks about.
Why is this something the communications community should be paying attention to? Studying and even obsessing over? Because it frames up the key questions that help us shape how brand can become and continue to be relevant in this Age of the Information Explosion:
1. What are you saying that’s important?
2. What are you doing to invite a response?
3. How are you tapping into the immediacy of the always-on world? What keeps you fresh and shows that you participate the consumer’s world?
4. Are you creating a meaningful piece of culture – no matter how small – that your audience wants to own and play with and recreate in a unique way?
Because: It’s not just about getting into the conversation anymore. It’s about getting into the remix.
Eclectic Method includes artists Jonny Wilson, Ian Edgar, and Geoff Gamlen. Props to WBP Labs for the above mini-doc. Check out more Eclectic Method videos that offer clues into the experiences of the info-content consumer here.
