|
|
Article Title: The State of Marketing Today
Author: Michael Lee-Smith
Category: Advertising, Small Business, Strategic Planning
Word Count: 520
Keywords: marketing, sales, communication, business strategy
Author's Email Address: leesmithmeister@gmail.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
Marketing is hard work. Now, I know what many are thinking. Outside of the
marketing end of the building, who's going to believe that?
To many people, marketing is either something that "anybody can do'', or
it's the department that enjoys a free ride on the hard work of the rest of an
organization.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
It takes a high level of nimble creativity to effectively create trust of and
demand for any product. And it's getting increasingly more difficult.
In study after study, consumers have stressed that, regardless of the
communication medium, they'd rather not see ads. For example, a 2004 study by
Forrester found that when people watch pre-recorded television shows, they skip
an average of 92 percent of the commercials.
And, love them or hate them, advertisements are a key method of getting the
message out to the buying public.
Confronting an ad-averse audience is difficult, and poses a series of questions.
Not the least of which is how to break through the aversion somehow.
We in the advertising industry have responded in a variety of ways, ranging from
moving more heavily to online advertising, to using more intrusive (I might
suggest underhanded) tactics?
As marketers, we all face the same concern: how do we make an impression? Where
do you go, what do you do, when the audience, everywhere, starts tuning us out?
Unfortunately, many ad agencies and "creative" types are turning to
shock, a marketing strategy that includes running a shocking advertisement or
communication stunt at a moment of maximum exposure, attempting to cajole (often
through threats) a presumably impartial media, and then arguing that it's in all
the service of branding.
Does anyone else think this is ethically suspect? How can marketers justify
disrespectful, manipulative strategies and tactics? Advertising is strategic,
and the audience is constantly evolving. But there are certain limits.
Sometimes, these strategies just seem so manipulative.
That's not to say "disruptive" marketing is bad. Rather, marketing is
currently standing at edge.
Marketing, to a large degree, is why people have an increasingly tough time
trusting corporations. Broken promises, exaggerated claims, poor excuses. All of
these contribute to a lack of faith on the part of the public.
It is possible, though, to break through the clutter and still be respectful. It
comes down to motivation and mediums. "Motivation" means that
professional marketers must choose to be honest with their audience.
"Mediums" refers to the methods and tools we use.
It's not too late for marketing to overcome this challenge of trust. But we do
need to be proactive, to select methods that don't undermine our word. And we
must take the time to encourage fellow marketers to be respectful of the buying
public.
When we get down to it, the "buzz" is important. And generating
immediate sales is also of vital importance. But it's important, also, to not
lose site of the long term effects of our marketing and communication decisions.
If we're selling aggressively now, and laying the groundwork for a mistrustful
public, we might eventually make it impossible for our companies to survive.
That would eventually undermine all marketing.
And that would be a truly unfortunate loss.
Michael Lee-Smith has been offering business consulting services for over a
decade, and in that time he's learned real-world strategies for success in sales
and marketing. Learn more about how you can succeed in business at http://advicebuylet.info
