I remember like it was yesterday…

I remember it like it was yesterday.  It was July 29, 1981.  I slept downstairs on the pull out couch in the family room with my Mom.  At that time, it was the only room in the house with a television set.  We woke up a 5am that morning to watch the Royal Wedding.  I am a huge Princess Diana fan, something passed down to by my Father’s mother, who loved the Royal Family.  To this day, this is one of my most cherished childhood memories.  In 24 hours I get to share that experience with my own daughter.

I distinctly remember that afternoon waiting on our big front porch for the afternoon paper to gather the first images of this historic day for my scrapbook some 10 plus hours after the event. Can you image that today? Having to wait 10 hours to capture an image from a live event?  It seems unthinkable today for that is what technology has brought us.  In the age of internet and smart phones it seems unacceptable to not have any image or any answer to a question, NOW. In 1981, I still had to rely on the newspaper for my fix on what was happening to the Royal Family.

Times have changed. Even me, a huge fan of the upcoming nuptials, is on information overload. Everywhere I turn I can access what is going on.  I think the most amazing thing is watching how one of the most established brands in the world has changed with the times. The Royal Family, traditionally a very private entity, has gone digital. They have done an amazing job rebranding themselves for today’s consumers of information. They have websites, Facebook pages with daily updates; create twitter handles letting people know where they will be and what they have been up to. They are adding to the buzz and excitement of the upcoming event as opposed to how they have shared info in the past.

I saw an article yesterday on Mashable that there is so much news about the Royal Wedding (about 7 million per day) on Friday that they cannot even measure the volume.

If you think about the power technology holds it is rather amazing.  One of the oldest, most conservative establishments on the planet changed due to realizing that power.  It has the ability to impact everyone’s brand, from the largest and oldest organizations to the smallest of us.
So tomorrow I will be enjoying this historic day with my daughter and hope in 30 years she can share the same experience with her daughter.  Of course, with advances in technology, by that time she should be able to teleport instantly to London and watch the event live.