By Rex Hammock, CEO

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the newlywed couple who were preparing a roast for the first time.

“Why are you cutting the ends off the roast?” asked the perplexed young bride.

“That’s the way my mom always did it,” replied the young groom.

“Well, why don’t we FaceTime her and find out why?” the bride suggested.

With a click, he had her on his iPad and asked, “Hey, Mom, I’m cooking a roast—looks good, huh? But we have a question: Why do you cut the ends off a roast before cooking it?”

“I don’t know,” his mother replied. “It’s the way your grandmother always prepared them before cooking. But wait, let’s call her and ask.”

“Hey, Grandma,” the groom said. “Why did you cut the ends off of roasts before cooking them?”

“Because when your grandfather and I were first married, we had a very small oven, and the roast didn’t fit unless I cut the ends off.”

In this era of radical change, we often do not pause to ask, “Why are we doing it this way?”

We have all these great digital tools (and large roast pans), but use them to repeat what we have done in the past.

Yes, we should be looking for new ways to do old things better, more creatively, smarter.

But there are no rules that say that using content marketing should be tied to the methods and limitations of the past: Limitations that were set by publishers, radio blocks of time, or the perception that “broadcast quality” is some type of requirement that is real.

Especially, at a time like these, when change is thrust upon us.

Find and use new ways to solve old challenges in ways you haven’t dreamed of before.

Don’t be limited by your grandmother’s roast pan.

Image: Getty Images

About Hammock Healthcare Idea Email | This post is part of Hammock’s award-winning Idea Email series. Idea Emails are sent every other week and share one insightful marketing idea. Idea Email comes in two flavors: Original and Healthcare. To subscribe to the original Idea Email (general marketing ideas), click here . To subscribe to the Healthcare Idea Email (healthcare marketing ideas), click here.