That depends on who they are. For example. yesterday I posted the newest Calvin Klein billboard, which has provoked more than a few to label it irresponsible and pornographic. Were those marketers who created the ad campaign tapping into their human sides or focused on getting attention in whatever ways might result in sales? And if the latter, is being money-focused and offensive inhuman?
I bring this up because of a post by Spike Jones at the Brains on Fire blog entitled Quit Thinking Like a Marketer. In that post, Spike writes, "People don't like being marketed to.... So I think it’s really, REALLY important to remember to take off our marketing hats and just be a person thinking about how to relate to other people in a honest, open, transparent way."
And then in a reply to a comment left by Mack Collier, Spike writes, "Maybe it’s just semantics, what you’re calling good marketing, I’m calling good-relations. Marketing means too many things to too many people - and most of those are BAD impressions."
An hour after reading and thinking about Spike's post, I came across the Calvin Klein billboard and privately, now publicly, think that the ad is a cheap trick to get noticed. It isn't creative nor innovative or is it difficult to execute on. Most marketers can come up with provocative ways to get their products attention, and I among them have sometimes resorted to provocation to get the message noticed. Provocation isn't just about sex and it can be useful when exchanging ideas.
But there is a line that when crossed violates our value systems and those of most Americans. Crossing that line might create word of mouth and buzz, but does it enhance intended results, which in business is most often related to sales. It certainly isn't the way most of us want to relate to our customers.
The Calvin Klein billboard and other similar marketing pieces leave a "BAD impression" on me. Furthermore, relating 'to other people in a honest, open, transparent way" has for most of my 35 years in communications, marketing and business development been the mantra for us whose job it is to introduce services, products, brands and ideas to people in ways that they will want to purchase or share in the experience in some way. How does offending people achieve that result? Is that being human? And for bottom line thinkers, even if short-term sales increase, how much long-term harm do we cause? Frankly, I know of no way to measure how many sales we lose because we offend people.
Most of the marketers and other business people I've met along the way are good people. They care about how they and their businesses are viewed. They have strong value systems and feel connected to their community. They want to do the right thing, and more often than not they do. They are Little League managers and soccer coaches and dedicated family people and spiritual and generally solid citizens. And when a business's marketing messages leave a "BAD impression," every one of them and their businesses takes a negative hit to the perception that business cannot be trusted to make good decisions. At least that's what I think. What about you?
