Technology as a Tool, Not the Focus

Media strategist for George Bush, Mark McKinnon, discusses the campaign's use of technology to deliver messages faster and with more immediate focus and relevance in this Business 2.0 article. The takeaway for me, from a marketing and business perspective, is:

"For him and his team, the point of using new technology isn't to call attention to how clued-in they are. And it certainly isn't to use it as an end in itself. Technology, as McKinnon says, is "just another tool" to be employed in the service of driving home a focused message."

I liken the use of technology in business (and politics) to that of a summer blockbuster -- you know immediately when the technology is being used to simply say, "Look at this cool stuff we can jam down your throat!" and when it's being used to subtly, but effectively, improve the quality, relevance and/or value of the message, end product or experience. Does your use of technology scream flagrantly or whisper effectively?