Marketing Dinosaur's blog

Seth Godin is an American entrepreneur. Whenever he is interviewed he is usually described as “Marketing Guru Seth Godin”. He has written books on the subject of marketing and launched highly successful businesses, the most famous of which is Squidoo.com. He was recently interviewed on Canadian television and caused something of stir when he observed that.

I was surprised by a headline I saw on Linked-In earlier this week. It said “The Traditional Media Buying Agency Is Dead”. The item referred to an article written by Larry Allen in a magazine called Business Insider.

I went to see ‘The Iron Lady’ last week, a great film with what must surely be award winning performances from Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent. It brought back a string of memories.  Trouble with the unions, riots in the streets, disagreements with the emerging United States of Europe, wars in the Middle East, looming disaster in the economic world…..media headlines exaggerating every event and weak-kneed politicians who hadn’t a clue  what to do about any of it. It had a familiar ring about it.

If Christmas didn’t exist we’d have to invent it! For what other reason would you be able to convince the entire world to spend so much money on so many different goods and services, and to do it every year. And of course it doesn’t stop there. At various times of the year other festivals geared to the events celebrated at Christmas also generate vast amounts of revenue for business and governments alike. Yet it all started all so simply, with a message.

 It would work this time…well it was already working, it was just a matter of finishing the job. Her plan to dominate her part of the world, nurtured through so many incarnations was nearing completion. The last area of resitance, Albionia, was clearly crumbling. There were people in the streets marching, shouting, smashing and burning their own shops and houses, and battling with Authority. Her acolytes had done a magnificent job stirring up so much trouble.  She smiled, it was all very satisfactory.

It looked so old fashioned somehow…all those people slouching along waving banners that looked as though they had been made by their children, shouting slogans no one understood and blowing plastic trumpets. Yet these were people who had had a good education, many even teachers themselves. You’d think that with all that intelligence, learning and the level of technology now available to them they’d invent another way to bring their complaint to the attention of those who could do something about the subject for them.

Everyone engaged in the business of marketing whether it’s goods, services or political ideas knows very well that the level of research available to them is vast and highly sophisticated. Information about the way people think and act, what they like and dislike, what they will spend their money on and what they won’t, indeed their very lifestyle is well documented and used by those with a message to spread. Much of this data is willingly provided, if unconsciously, by consumers themselves when using credit and ‘loyalty’ cards.

Did you see it? The Lord Mayor of London’s Show I mean. For years I was able to watch it from my office in Fleet Street, never missed it. Apart from the sheer enjoyment of the participants that readily communicated itself to the spectators, it provided a great opportunity for corporate entertaining. Important clients and their families all joined mine and it was a great thrill to see all the various floats go by. The services marching stiffly, the others dancing or just sauntering along enjoying being a part of a centuries old pageant.