In a classical concert, every sound appears with practiced timing, from the light viola to the heavy tuba. The composition dictates every note, enforced by the conductor. The more precise each section plays its notes, the better.
There’s a correct way to play a symphony. The opposite is true of jazz.
Jazz is equally beautiful. But if you learn a few chords and scales, you can jam with anyone. It’s emergent: Complexity bubbles up from the recombination of simple components. The conductor is your intuition of what should come next.
The same dichotomy exists in marketing: Some marketing requires the discipline of an orchestra. An event demands a tight schedule and clear responsibilities. Other marketing benefits from jazz-like agility. If your content marketing gets too intricate, it confuses your customers.
Form follows function here. Jazz marketing requires you to create building blocks which make the whole recognizable without dictating details. Symphony marketing asks you to eradicate everything that’s open for interpretation.
If you’re building a team or starting a new channel, ask yourself: Is this jazz or a symphony?