Rediscovering The Discovery Machine

I always liked hearing stories about actors and actresses who were 'discovered' at the lunch counter in Schwab's Pharmacy in Hollywood, languidly sipping a soda.

Of course, that particular scenario probably didn't happen much at all. Or maybe ever.

But the legend continued.

And it was partly because Schwab's was a meeting place for showbiz elite in the '30s '40s and '50s. And where publicists went to plant stories with the entertainment and gossip columnists who were also regulars at the spot.

And so the discovery machine and its silver screened stories rolled on.

Of Course, I'm a Publicist. It Says So on My Card.

Perhaps that's why my journey from film and TV writing to entertainment publicity felt so natural.

If you haven't heard it before, I was a staff writer on a national variety show that was abruptly cancelled (though not without reason ??). I had one young child, another on the way and, as they might say in the movies, my prospects were running on fumes.

So I changed careers and took on a new role in an old familiar story.

Instead of trying to pitch ideas to producers or publishers, I pitched comedy shows, documentaries, feature films, plays and the people behind them to reporters.

And it was always thrilling to read the coverage and hear that an event I promoted was sold out. Even better when I knew there was no other marketing and the ticket sales could be attributed directly to PR.

Because media was the gateway for finding out new things.

Our discovery engine.

And publicity (as in making a story public) was a key ingredient in its fuel.

From Media to Search

In many ways, this is still the case.

Except there are a couple of added layers you're all familiar with: search and social.

Because search is what we do when we have a question or need—and want an immediate and hopefully, trustworthy answer. Which is why media results often rank high.

But (and apologies to Marshall MacLuhan), what if the search result was the message? Not the media.

And instead of a laundry list of links, you'd get a full summary of what you wanted to know, complete with visuals, comparisons and context, and written in a way that was easy to understand.

MUM's the (New) Word

Well, you may not be too far away from that.

At its recent developer conference, Google previewed MUM, its Multitask Unified Model.

MUM can take a complex question and provide a summary that incorporates images, video and text. Think of it as your customized Wikipedia entry for every single search with Google as researcher, editor and distributor all rolled up into one.

This means the company could become an even bigger filter than they are right now. And of course, the results will be customized to your own behavior. So unlike Wikipedia, each of you will get a personalized entry designed to both inform and engage.

Personally, I'm not ready for Google to become my sole source of information. I crave more choice. What about you?

MUM and some of Google's other announcements is what I talk about in this week's Digital Marketing Trends video.

I also discuss the company's new conversational AI model LaMDA, which makes chatbots sound more like humans, because they're able to handle conversation turns more naturally and sometimes even with a sense of humor.

So in the not so distant future, Google's MUM will know best and LaMDA will become its messenger.

Second opinion? Um... what's that?

Check out the video and let me know what you think.

Connect With Martin

And without any help from Google, I just discovered we've come to the end of issue #38.

How do you discover what you need to know? Are you happy with the current state of search and media or would you prefer a custom-prepared editorial that tells you everything you need? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Be sure to reach out if you have questions about any of the videos in Digital Marketing Trends, or my other?LinkedIn Learning courses.

And if you want to find me, follow me on?LinkedIn?or?Twitter.

Or visit?my website?and send a message or a question.

You might also enjoy the?Inside PR?podcast I co-host with?Gini Dietrich?and?Joe Thornley.

See you in September ...