Over the weekend we watched the British Open where Tom Watson flirted with winning a major golf tournament at the ripe old age of 59. He was beat out by 36 year old Stewart Cink. At the Tour De France, we watched the ancient 37 year old Lance Armstrong compete mightily on the mountain course from Pontarlier to Verbier. He remains in second overall behind his teammate, 27 year old Alberto Contador.
The point of all this? Two things – age is relative, and if someone remains passionate about their craft they can remain competitive way beyond traditional expectations. This can also be seen in marketing. There is a sense out there that the only people who are worth hiring are those who haven’t crested the dreaded 40, let alone 50.
It can be harder for those who have a history of doing business a certain way to remain competitive in a rapidly changing environment. Whether it’s the newspaper ad guy dissing TV in the 60’s or the mass media maven disparaging social applications in the 00’s, some hold on to the known at the expense of growth. However, some gray in the hair does not mean your brain has ceased to function – only that in many cases, the passion and curiosity has waned.
To the old guy, I say, get out from behind your desk, dive into some webinars and learn what new media is about. Join some networks and become active in the online groups, offer discussions and comment on others – be engaged. Learn about monetizing social media; understand how to embrace inbound marketing instead of being afraid of it. Don’t scoff at the young guy at the coffee shop with a laptop, multiple tattoos & piercings and learn how his website’s ROI is quite likely kicking butt on your traditional ad campaign.
To those looking to hire, quit with counting backward on the resume to figure out if the old guy is too old to work for you – look them in the eye, see if the passion is still burning. There are a lot of 40 or 50-something marketers out there who have not let age dull them. They are as active and current as many of the young out there, with a lot more experience that can help add perspective that only experience offers. Don’t dismiss the value of that.
The new social media is dynamic and exciting. It requires good insights and an open mind to be flexible enough to change quickly. It also requires constant learning and nimbleness. I don’t see anywhere that age is a requirement – passion is the only thing that matters in learning to do this right.
