Of course not, but that's what many businesses do when it comes to digital media. As Mitch Joel states on his blog, Six Pixels of Separation, many people get drawn into the "what" part of the marketing process and not the "why." He goes on to explain that the "what" is a tactic and that the "why" is the strategy. I could not agree more. What if your building contractor said "okay, before I even know what you want, I'm going to show what tiles we're going to use for your roof." You would be shocked and hire someone else that will listen to you first. The idea that we, as consumers, can demand this type of communication is growing. Online interaction is allowing many of us to search, find, and buy things that we want. And if a company doesn't listen to what we want, we go elsewhere, maybe to never return. Digital media has empowered the consumer, taking the spoon out of the hands of big business and putting it in the consumer's. Blogging, podcasting, and online forums are just tools of empowerment. Knowing what to use and the best ways of using them will be a never-ending challenge but the one constant will be knowing "why" you are using them.
Note to Businesses: Consumers are leveraging the power of online communication, shouldn't you be thinking the same way?