Deep Dive: Marketing During the Writers’ Strike
The writers’ strike is real, raw, and has no end in sight. You might not have heard of the writers’ strike if you’ve been living under a rock—or in a steel bunker somewhere with no access to the news or social media. But for all of us Online™ folk, this event has flooded our feeds and clogged the news channels for months. I know we’re all eager to dive in, but patience is still a virtue right? Before we can understand what the writers’ strike means for marketing, and how it points to a rupture in the digital landscape, we must first understand what it is.
Here’s a TLDR: Since May 2, 2023, Hollywood screenwriters have been on strikeover inadequate pay, decreased job security due to the rise of streaming platforms, and the very real threat of artificial intelligence replacing jobs. The writers were in negotiations for a while, but after they failed, the people took to the streets and marched (as we always end up having to do to fight for what we believe in!)
At first, you may not see any direct relation between the strike and marketing, but this historic event represents several faults in our industry and gives us a warning in how we treat writers, artists, and ultimately, all employees. Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into how the strike impacts marketing and learn the critical lessons from this cultural moment. We’ll discuss the importance of listening to your team, dealing with the current rapid rate of change, and what this means for the future.
1. Listening to Concerns is Not Enough
An important lesson we learn from the strikes is that listening to grievances, without taking action to improve anything, isn’t enough. Have you ever attended a work meeting with HR to improve your professional life? Even after attending these meetings or raising concerns, how often has your work and well-being improved?
We’re guessing the odds of actual change are pretty low. That’s because, more often than not, organizations and managers put all their effort into ensuring everyone’s concerns are raised (and heard) without then following up and doing anything about it. Getting feedback from your team is essential to a healthy work environment, but what comes after that? Suppose you, as a company, put in the time, effort, and resources into investigating grievances. In that case, you should then take the next steps to create a system to turn these words into action!
For example, let’s say you’re upset by how late you’re working every day. Your manager asks you how you’re coping, and in response, you let them know that you’re feeling burnt out, and this situation doesn’t work well for you. They are empathetic and kind and ask you to fill out a form. You then speak to HR, who are equally understanding. After weeks of talks, you’re still working late and have exhausted yourself further by explaining so much. This would be a really frustrating situation, wouldn’t it?
The same goes for any aspect of the digital marketing workplace, where leaders must analyze, care about, and act upon the feedback of both customers and employees. So the writers’ strike isn’t so much about airing grievances as it is about acting on them—timely!
2. The World Is Changing At An Unprecedented Rate
Another important insight that the strikes bring to light is the transformation of our world at a speed and scale that has never been seen before. While it can be easy to forget what this change means and how it affects the spheres we operate in, it’s important to reflect on how technological and societal advancements are affecting the workplace and beyond.
Digital marketing ten years ago was a different reality than what we face now; social media was just gaining traction and print was still gold. You probably would have never heard of the jobs “Social Media Manager” or “Content Creator.” But now, it feels like we’re facing an unexpected challenge every day. Just look at Twitter. In the past few months, the platform has faced mass layoffs, a change in ownership, and a complete rebrand. As a result, brands aren’t sure how to communicate on the app anymore—is it still the platform it used to be? How do we acknowledge these cultural changes in the content we’re producing? And lastly, what comes next, and how does planning for the future change how we think about today?
These are all great questions to ask, but it seems like we’re forced into more and more of them than ever before as things keep quickly changing. If you look at the writers’ strike, part of their concerns revolve around artificial intelligence making creative content instead of being used as editing and proofreading tools. This is uncharted territory, partly because we’ve never had to face the dual wonder and threat of AI and partly because technology is evolving at a lightning-fast pace—meaning that the resolutions we reach today might end up obsolete by tomorrow morning. This brings us to our next point: what’s next?
3. The Road Ahead Is—And Will Be—Murky
So ultimately, here’s the situation: we’re faced with mass advancement but don’t know how to react to it in the present moment. At this point, you might be feeling confused, frustrated, or overwhelmed – and you’re not alone. The unknown is often scary, and while none of us can predict the future, we can do things to better prepare for it.
We’re at the strange cusp of knowing that we’re on the brink of another digital revolution—one that features generative AI and increasingly cognizant technology at the center—without actually being able to figure anything out. The good thing is that every industry is feeling the effects, whether it’s creators and managers in your digital marketing department or university students who have yet to reach a consensus on how to proceed. If you’re confused, your neighbor, best friend, and the stranger you pass on the street are all in the same boat with you. This could mean that—for the first time in a long period—we’re standing in solidarity, trying to do the best work we can as humans with new machines by our side.
Always in your corner,
The Content Queens
