BrandAnimation: We're Not an Army - It's Not a War

By: Erik Hauser

OK, I have to address something that has been bothering me for a long time.  Let me first say that I have been guilty of this in the past, and I still have some work to do - my conscience is now clear!  Marketers speak as though we're engaged in some sort of global war with our allies (clients) against their targets (customers).  Details are sketchy, but the latest intelligence indicates that marketers/advertisers simply have it wrong. I think its time to call our PR brothers and sisters in for some lessons in linguistics .  Marketers, as you all well know, are professionals who choose words very carefully for a living. So, why do we continue to use military terminology when talking about what we do, and in terms of the people we're trying to reach?

It's a new marketing world, and it requires a new way of articulating what we hope to accomplish.  Our intended audiences are not targets.  We aren't aiming our arsenal of marketing weapons in guerilla campaigns against people.  Smart and ethical marketers are trying to create a dialogue and win the mindshare of customers by creating enticing propositions that stimulate purchase.   That's a lot different than it sounds in the boardrooms of agencies around the globe.  I think it should be more like Peter Gabriel said, "I come to you defenses down with the trust of a child." We need to throw away the terms targeting and targets, and as an industry find new ways and words to explain the positive engagement and experiences we want people to have with the brands we represent..

It doesn't end there.  Before we go any farther get ready to throw on your full protective body suit because here comes viral marketing.  C'mon - I am so guilty of having thrown this term around in the past, but now I try to stay clear of it as much as I can because I use peer to peer marketing program language.  This phrase was actually hard to swallow even when I was using it - I'm glad I'm in recovery.

Duck…quick… somebody just launched something targeted at you.  OK, I think that you get my point.  Maybe we just don't fully realize that the words we use in our business dealings affects us on a deeper level, or how we operate day to day.  Then.. think about Don Imus.  Wouldn't you feel less agro if you were using terms that truly reflected what you were doing?  I know that I do.

So.. I'm going to end this here and start working on creating the next great experience between my clients and their customers.  Tell me about what you are doing.  I'm all for dialogue.