Blog: David Loshin

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CUSTOMERS ... STOP BUSINESS ... STOP TELEGRAMS ... STOP

The other day I read in the paper that Western Union was shutting down its telegram service, as is reported here. The value proposition of the telegram product was its ability to transmit short messages across long distances realtively quickly. Yet with the growth of email, instant messaging, mobile text messaging, etc. the value of sending a telegram transformed from content delivery to anachronistic curiosity ("Let's send Uncle Joe a telegram to celebrate his 96th birthday."). Reflecting (or, perhaps perturbing) Marshall McLuhan's comment that the "medium is the message," the acts of sending and receiving telegrams outweighed the actual messages contained within them.

It is interesting to consider that transmitting telegrams was a large part of Wester Union's business, but as part of a natural approach to business survival, what was once bread and butter is now being completely eliminated from the operational diet. Something most businesses should keep in mind: if you see that external events are significantly reducing the value proposition of your products, reinvent your business to remain competitive.

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