I've just been to a workshop where the lecturer told us marketing as we know it will soon cease to exist! Yippee! That's me looking for another job, then. Well, not quite. I'm in PR, an industry which is in its own crisis (Thank you, Alistair Campbell and friends). But marketing and PR is mixed up in the same conspiracy: Big Business Wants Your Money.
Still, unlike a lot of these marketing events, this one was very interesting. In the US there are now websites where kids join up and compare their sneakers (trainers to us). That might immediately prompt a lot of head-scratching, but think about it. When I was a kid I remember being very conscious of how "good" my trainers were. They had to be a certain level, a certain brand. This meant buying them first and comparing them on the playing fields. God help if I got it wrong. Now the little darlings are discussing them on a website first, before they pester mum and dad to go buy.
Where does marketing fit into that?
The best use of social sites is coming out of Thailand. Let's say a new, top-of-the-range camera is coming out. A bunch of camera geeks "meet" on a social site and organise to go to a shop on a certain day at a certain time. They can turn up in their 100s. They say to the store owner: "We will all buy this camera, now, if you give us a discount." Of course, the store owner's about to sell 100s of cameras in one day. He'll give a discount.
Brilliant. Wholesale for the consumer.
But where does marketing fit into that?
Random rant 1: The phrase "up in arms" appears in every edition of every local newspaper throughout the UK. Stop it! It's archaic. No one uses the phrase any more, except you.
The Death of Marketing is actually good news for PR, in my view. Here's the distinction between the two: Marketing works for profit, PR works for reputation (but when mixed with politics it becomes spin). If we're saying more and more people are going to buy, or use services, based on the experiences and feedback of others who have bought that product, or used that service, then reputation will count for much more than advertising. The marketing guru at the workshop said "value" would be the key - what value, benefit, feeling, kudos - does buying that product or service give to a consumer. I would argue that a company with a good, ethical reputation is central to that value.
Random rant 2: The changing definition of the word "workshop." From: A place where traditional crafstmen and women created their wares. To: A venue where a learned person gets his or her audience to do their job for them.
Stop it! That's not a workshop! It's a lesson. It's a classroom. It's learning.
Random rants 3 and 4 (shared with Keith Waterhouse, admittedly): "Meteoric rise." Because that's what meteors do, right? "Scooped a prize." What sort of prize would you scoop, exactly?
STOP IT!
I've lost the plot now.
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3 comments:
Surely meteors don't rise, don't they go round and round in circles, or perhaps ellipses.
My private hate is 'three for two', 'buy one get one free' offers. If I want one I buy one, if I want two I buy two etc. All these offers do to me is persuade me that the store is overpricing everything in order to make these offers!
May I comment on PMS's comment? Re 3 for 2 offers - the REALLY sneaky thing about this is that many stores have teensy weensy print right at the bottom of the sign that says: 'this offer expired 3 weeks ago' or similar.
One shop got fined £3000 for this last year. Most of us don't bother to report them. Even more of us don't check our payment tab and don't realise we've paid full price for the 3 items.
Dear Phil, very funny blog. I am feeling a bit worried about using capital letters now. That said, I too would like to know why you feel the need to do the creative writing course? - are you thinking of a teaching career in creative writing perhaps, as you did mention you may be looking for a new career? Debbie
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