Here, Mark Leone, partner at MadClarity writes that, despite it all, too many marketers ignore the truth when it seems obvious. Perhaps it’s because burying the head is easier than facing up.
Growing up as a young fella in Australia from Italian parents, it was common for me to hear the odd saying that was a little different. There is one that has stayed with me into my professional life. I’m not sure how common it is outside my parents’ little village; I assume it probably is. But I haven’t heard it anywhere else since.
Translated loosely into English, it is:
“Who hears less than a deaf person… someone who doesn’t want to listen.”
Yes, the times I heard it growing up, it was directed at me. And yes, they were right.
Decades later, it regularly reappears in the back of my mind. When trying to work out why seemingly intelligent marketers ignore the truth sitting in clear view. Even with no shortage of people around them pointing it out.
Some of the issues I am referring to include:
- When the focus is on attribution, advertising is more concerned with taking credit for existing sales, than driving new ones.
- “Opt-in” services are not in your interests. If they were, you wouldn’t need to sign away all rights to visibility and transparency.
- The data used for precise targeting is often wildly inaccurate and full of contradiction.
- Market Mix Modelling is more likely to be used to justify decisions than inform them.
- Big agencies don’t get better media rates for their clients. It is more likely they are better at generating margin from it.
You may disagree, but I am here to tell you we see evidence of these every day.
There is no shortage of qualified and skilled commentators drawing attention to these issues. Some of my favourites include Paul Worthington, Tom Goodwin and, of course, Bob Hoffman. More recently Arielle Garcia is doing amazing work in the US with a couple of examples of this work in AdExchanger and a local Australian article. As a marketer, I would have all of them as part of my regular reading list.
However, more marketers today can incorrectly quote Byron and co, than even name any of these people, let alone quote anything they write or speak of.
I am generalising, this is not true of all marketers. I have the pleasure of working with some of the best every day. Marketers who value independent advice, constructively critical thinking and who want to be challenged to do better. But the uncomfortable truth is that too many marketers fall into the former category. Even some who pay to learn these lessons and choose to ignore them, maybe even sweep them under the carpet.
It is likely a few of you might be trying to work out whether this is true of you. Here’s a hint, the more seriously you question whether it is, the less likely it is. The more confident you feel it isn’t true of you… the more likely it is.
The real irony is that those who need to hear this message the most… will probably never read this.
