For decades we've all talked about The Big Idea.

We've searched high and low for it. We've built entire businesses around finding it. We've seen incredible business success derived from it. It has become half Holy Grail and half Sacred Cow.

But times change. The World Changes. We can't stay comfortable dreaming about martinis and the Big Idea. The Big Idea is dead.

Marketers spent years cramming a message down the consumers throats. In many cases, this was against their will. But they had no choice.

Designers spent years accommodating these marketers.

And consumers had to take it.

But now we have an entire new demographic who have grown up not having to take it. And as a result, the control relationship between brands and consumers has changed. And it's not going back. Technology has helped - but behavior is a big part of this. And at then end of the day... the chickens are coming home to roost.

In this new world... The Big Idea doesn't really hold water. Without the control relationship on the side of the brands, it's not even justifiable.

Instead... it's time for the Big Unified System of Medium-sized ideas. This works within the new control relationship. It's justifiable at an economic level. It's both effective and efficient.

Okay... so it's hard work. But we all got fat and lazy over the last 5 decades. Time to earn our money.