If you’ve been around kids at any time in the last 40 years then you probably recognize the names Big Bird, Elmo, and (My personal favorite) Count von Count. They’re characters on one of the most popular children’s television shows of all time: Sesame Street.
Today almost 40 years after Sesame Street’s first episode aired it’s incredible to look back on the way life has changed since 1969.
In 1969:
- The first man landed on the moon
- Wal-Mart incorporates as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc
- The first ATM is installed in the U.S.A.
- ARPANET (The predecessor of the Internet) was created
- The Microprocessor is invented
- Brett Farve was born
It isn’t a fluke that Sesame Street has survived thrived for 40 years. Throughout this time they have stayed in touch with current technology and trends from launching their website in 1998, to parodying Apple iPod commercials, to a social network to help families stay connected.
It isn’t all just done by those in charge of Sesame Street. The series is such a hit that there are hundreds of clips on YouTube being viewed by millions of people every day. A great example is this clip from the 70s of Stevie Wonder performing that is still being viewed 30 years later by over 2 million people.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ul7X5js1vE]
So when you’re thinking about your own business maybe it’s time to take a page out of the Sesame Street play book and take a look at whether or not you’re utilizing technology to it’s potential in your business.