It takes a certain type of person to be involved in the oil and gas industry.
One must be prepared to take the good and the bad, the booms and the busts.
It’s an exciting industry, and opportunities are as diverse as the people involved.
Like most of you reading this, I have been around the industry for many years. I have seen the booms and the busts. And also, like all of us, have lived with the economic consequences of both.
Back in the late 1970’s, when I was first exposed as an adult to the industry, business was done in the restaurants and bars of Calgary. Wineing and dining was taken to a whole new level, and when times were good, you could practically see the money flying around the rooms.
In the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, more and more business started happening on the squash courts and golf courses. (But the bars and restaurants still played a big part as well).
Yep, the ‘old boys club’ was a great network to belong to. Who you knew was every bit as important as what you knew when it came to sales.
Not really a surprise, since most people tend to do business with people they know, like and trust. After all, most business interactions are based on relationships.
But – in the words of Bob Dylan – times, they are a changin’.
It’s hard to believe that the internet didn’t really become mainstream until the 1990’s. And, man, how it has grown and changed how we communicate with others.
With advancing technology, the reliance on mobile devices and electronic communication has become epic. And it continues to grow every single day.
I am not an advocate of simply using online methods of marketing; that is but one tool. Proper marketing utilizes all the tools available – as long as they are appropriate for your campaign.
Effective, successful marketing requires thoughtful planning and methodical execution. And, of course, measurement for success. The tools to be used are unique to each individual marketing campaign.
Now, I’m not suggesting that the ‘old boys club’ is dead, nor am I suggesting that it should be ignored.
I am, however, suggesting that it is in the best interests of O & G companies to expand their horizons and get onboard with additional means of moving their businesses forward.
The internet and online marketing is here to stay, and will continue to evolve in ways that we can’t even imagine today. It might be appropriate that dinosaurs were the predecessors of our industry, but consider moving forward with the times to avoid becoming extinct like them.
This article was published in the March 2015 issue of the Oilfield Pulse Newsletter.
Until next time…
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