An absolute corker from Hans at Pandora Squared;
Companies need a Conversation Department not a Marketing Department. Marketing is bullshit. Give the customer what they want and listen to the conversation. What are the customers saying?
The Value of Marketing Departments
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s a shame people like Hans can’t see that “marketing” is a malleable term in itself. You don’t actually need to rename things to the Web 2.0 phrase of the week to bring about change. Marketing can, and will, evolve on its own. It already has in the past… it will again in the future.
This doesn’t make the kinds of things being done under the Web 2.0 umbrella this week (a new umbrella term coming soon, of course), wrong, per se… infact, they are probably the things that marketeers will adopt, to some degree, in the future. I have no doubt of that.
Rob.
WEB TWO POINT 0H! has nothing to do with it.
OUR MANTRA’s
Technology is the enabler of business not its purpose
You have to lead in search or be part of the conversation
markets are conversations
conversations are held by people
you can not own or control a conversation
its the conversation
marketing is bullshit
marketers are irrelevant
I say this with all respect and love Rob: its the conversation stupid
-Kevin Leversee
http://www.cluetrain.org/
A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies.
Well, whatever… as a journo it’s not like I’m defending my own turf anyway. What I was pointing out, however, is that a marketer can just as easily buy into the concept of the conversation and harness the conversation — after all, there has to be some way of doing this… isn’t it what your social software is all about? — and, in doing so, can still call themself a marketer.
Because, in doing so, they’re just a marketer using new techniques, as marketers have done for years and years. I know if doesn’t play well to the whole militant “marketing is irrelevant” thing (which itself is a great piece of… er… marketing
), but it’s the truth.
It reminds me, is this the thing you were going to say at the recent H&K Breakfast Bytes, but stalled on (or seemed to stall on)? The audio doesn’t give a clue as to what happened after you asked the marketers what they thought about being irrelevant. See my comment here: http://www.robirwin.com/iliketowatch/?p=53
Marketing is evolutionary by nature, but typically not revolutionary; it will change slowly with time as Rob as indicated and will do so of its own accord, following the most proven techniques. It’s comments and ideas like Kevin’s that lead revolution and change, and will prove to marketers they need to become more conversational in their strategy and hence encourage evolution.
At the present marketing may well be irrelevant, but in due time as it evolves (following the conversational cluetrain-inspired revolution
) marketing will find relevance again.
I do also agree the ‘marketing is irrelevant’ line is a type of marketing in itself, as a lot of things are… that’s the beauty of it!
Great comments guys.