Yet another testament to marketers’ ignorance, folly and unwillingness to do their homework
I often quote that wittiest of politicians, Disraeli.
He was a great favourite of Queen Victoria – as you can see, this picture was taken by her command.
I have to say, though, that I have consistently predicted that the great social media hoo-ha was grossly overdone – like so many such crazes I have watched throughout my career.
Like Gadarene swine marketers (investors, too) cannot wait to leap off the nearest available cliff. The minute someone comes up with a new idea, unable to think of with any themselves, they cannot wait to believe it will remove the tedious business of thinking, counting and analysing.
They are simply too damn idle to do their homework.
A good piece from Forbes, reprinted in the Chicago Tribune suggests the party is over: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-why-groupon-is-over-20120820-2,0,6389149.story
It is not quite over, if you know what you’re doing, though. We are managing to make money out of Facebook, and quite a lot out of AdWords. We just never kidded ourselves that it would be anything like what the hucksters have promised.
In late October I shall be speaking about all these assorted follies in Australia, with a new talk called What I learned from Darth Vader.
This talk shows how what I learned 46 years ago from people like Gene Schwartz still applies today; or it would if people were intelligent enough to learn it.
Of course, it won’t make any difference.
When the next big shiny magic bullet comes along all the people who think being called a “Chief Marketing Officer” means you don’t have to think any more will be quick to fall in love with it.
And for the umpteenth time, will someone tell me which media are not social?
Broadcast vs narrow cast or one to one has long been the divide between online and offline. Pundits; often self proclaimed, are getting confused between valuable communication and value shares. Now that legal precedents are appearing top of mind and the inexperienced and poorly educated strategists are finding themselves in unfamiliar territory, the challenges have simply raised the bar, not killed the market or it’s impact. Marketers should be fearful of the measurability of digital and leave their broadcast methods to experienced communicators. The obvious flaw is that to be successful online, it helps to be a nice person with social acumen, not just the ability to use a keyboard.
Exactly Drayton – by many definitions this post is a form of social media.
Where will you be in Australia? How to get tickets??
I’ll be there last week in October, I believe. Speaking in Melbourne and Sydney. I will publish fuller details very shortly.
I don’t think the social media is going to burst for a long time yet. I do think that too many advertisers sensing a captive audience have jumped on the bandwagon only to get their fingers burnt, but probably that’s to be expected.
An attraction for users of social media, a time-consuming pursuit but otherwise largely free of charge, is to get away from being sold to. When advertisers find a way to help people buy then there’s a formula for success.
Ignore the most engaging, responsive and available media channel ever created at your peril. If you don’t get to grips with social media now, you’ll be hopelessly out of your depth when the next wave of evolution kicks in.
In fact, if you are confusing Adwords with social media now, you might already be in trouble!
You’re right, Jim; I never should have mentioned AdWords. I have managed to struggle through 50 odd years of seeing the latest, greatest thing ever to hit marketing, starting with TV. The customers haven’t changed much, though. Nor have the overclaims.