We’ve Come a Long Way
A lot can change in 22 years. Take it from us. Since JCG opened its doors in 2000, we’ve seen countless trends come and go. We’ve seen breakthrough technologies go obsolete almost overnight and huge brands meekly go the way of the dinosaurs. Here are just a few to jog your memory:
Blockbuster Video
Scoring that Gladiator VHS for the weekend was pretty neat back in 2000. But there’s a reason “Blockbuster and chill” never became a catchphrase. From the first-come-first-served selection to the annoying late fees, few things about the experience were chill. This is one business model no one cares to rewind.
Burning CDs
Here’s one we miss a little. While the cool kids would soon be rocking iPods, in 2000 many of us still made do with a stack of blank CDs and a Sharpie. Road trip mixes. Workout mixes. Coldplay mixes. We were all DJs with the cutting-edge technology to share our favorite jams with anyone who would listen.
PDAs
Note to younger audiences: we don’t mean Public Displays of Affection. We’re talking about Personal Digital Assistants — the hopelessly clunky precursors to the smartphone. Only they didn’t allow you to text or make calls. Or take pictures. Or watch TikToks. But they did other things… we think.
Dial Up Internet
Oh the struggles we endured before the blessings of high speed. A good part of the Boomer and Gen X generations suffered minor hearing loss listening to shrieking modems while connecting to the internet over a LAND LINE. But what joy it was to finally connect and check our Hotmail account! Never forget.
Kenny Rogers Roasters
Yes, The Gambler also knew a thing or two about chicken. In fact, his restaurant chain once boasted 350 locations worldwide (not a typo) before closing its doors in the U.S. Remarkably, the brand is still huge in Malaysia, Thailand, and India. Because chicken is a universal language.
The Takeaway
So why did these brands and technologies fade after showing so much promise? The reasons are many. Failure to adapt certainly played a role, as did the inability to embrace new technology, and changing consumer behavior. But it all boils down to one thing really: becoming irrelevant.
Staying relevant in the face of unforeseen change is essential to the longevity of any business. The pandemic is a perfect example of this. Helping our clients pivot to new ways of supporting families, such as offering virtual services, is one way we worked through this challenge together.
Having been around the block a few times, whether it’s our funeral home brokers, financial, or consulting team, JCG has always found a way to turn threats into opportunities. And as much as anything else, that’s why we’re still kicking 22 years later.
We can’t thank our clients enough for their partnership and trust during that time. Here’s to another 22 years of staying ahead of the curve.