Before the 80s marketing was focused on the big four – science, engineering, innovation, and design because this was the best way to compete. Unfortunately, in the 80s companies and investors realized they can make lower quality products while using mass media advertising to sell them. The age of marriage between superficial advertising and financialization started reaching its peak in 2010s. Science, engineering, innovation, design remained as empty buzzwords. Customers started thinking science is a high school class, engineering is something developing countries needed, innovation is a new Coca Cola taste, and design is something that has reached its peak centuries ago. The only thing that changed through extreme competition was the advertising and financial products.
An individual is not someone who changes but a messenger of change that is coming. When Elon Musk became the richest individual in the world he delivered this message: science, innovation, engineering, and design are relevant again. Elon changed cultural values that dominated most of the global society for half a century. He shifted our appreciation from Warren Buffet – who makes money with cheap consumer goods and financial services, to himself – who makes electric cars, rockets, and solar panels. This change if profound.
Science, engineering, innovation, and design can not work unless the global culture does not accept them as they should be accepted. Us humans are very flexible and we adopt different values every few decades. We are easy to change. Mass media – press, radio, television, and now internet and social media – are tools used to change our values. Before there were big differences in values between geographic regions, but today these differences are minimal. We are all changing in the same direction which is a great opportunity and a big risk.
The message that Elon Musk brings is that we are changing towards science, engineering, innovation, and design, away from cheap, superficial, financialized products which pollute. This is good news. Participate in this change on openinnovation.me.
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