Marketing Gurus Mark Ritson & Brad Berens Go Head To Head
With the ad:tech conference closing in, B&T decided to put the gloves on two industry heavyweights and let them duke it out over technology’s importance to modern day marketing. Read on and decide who’s swinging at air and who’s landing haymakers…
Mark Ritson (pictured above, left)
Marketing isn’t marketing any more
Why 100 years of tradition trumps any new gadget or trend
When you visit the next marketing conference, it is almost certain that you will encounter packed sessions on blockchain, augmented reality and cryptocurrencies, plus whatever new techno toys have been invented between now and the next big event. Marketers have always been the ‘magpie discipline’ – we steal the good stuff from other approaches and bring them into marketing as our own. With so much good stuff around these days, it is perhaps not surprising that marketing is filled to the brim with nonsense.
The only way to kidnap a century-old discipline and replace its long-thought-through principles is to declare the past dead and the future different. It worked for Mao and its certainly working at the moment for a new wave of wildly ignorant marketers intent on reshaping marketing to their own myopic ends. For the past decade, ill-informed, untrained marketing gurus have been declaring various concepts they actually do not fully understand to be dead: brands, advertising, funnels, TV, loyalty, targeting – you name it, RIP. How better to pave the way for bitcoin and AI and a plethora of other jingly stuff?
There is an opportunity cost to all these techno-toys. There is no polite way to say this, but most big Australian brands are being run without any proper marketing strategy. Instead, those in charge delight in the latest gimmicks and tactics, yet remain unable to articulate their target segments beyond the inane and entirely ridiculous concept of ‘Millennials’, while the positioning for their brands are little more than random straplines. Ask for objectives and a dribble of purpose statements and brand love stands in for proper measurable goals.
The obsession with technology in marketing has resulted in all too many Australian companies putting the tactical cart in front of the strategic horse. The promotional ‘P’ dominates the marketing mix so much that no one even notices we do not talk pricing or channels or product any more. It’s all about tactics. It’s all about communications. It’s all about technology. It’s just not that much about marketing.
Brad Berens (pictured above, right)
More than flinging paint
If marketing is art, then technology is the brush
Arguing that technology is a distraction to marketing strategy is like saying that paints, brushes and canvas were distractions to Picasso: the proposition manages both to be obviously false, and to make less and less sense the more you think about it. Marketing strategy that ignores technology is just throwing paint around.
Marketing is the practice of directing different sorts of positive attention to companies and their products. Doing this might involve sparking a potential customer’s rational evaluation of a product’s strengths, non-rational association of a product with an ad campaign that has nothing factual to do with the product (a bikini-clad woman draped on top of sports car, polar bears drinking Coca-Cola), unconscious positive feelings towards a product simply because a consumer has encountered background ads for it numberless times, or any number of other things, but the point of the exercise is attention.
You have to fish where fish are swimming. That is, you can only direct attention to a product from where people are already paying attention.
Since the turn of the century, attention has flowed to digital devices and platforms, often supplementing and sometimes replacing attention that used to flow to analog devices and platforms. Digital cameras replaced film cameras, and then phones replaced digital cameras, and then Facebook became the world’s largest repository of photos because that’s where people were spending time looking at things.
Likewise, email has largely replaced paper mail, YouTube and Netflix have sucked eyeballs away from linear TV, and after seconds of boredom, most people reach for their phones instead of looking around them where they might spy a billboard.
None of this is to say that TV is dead, merely that starting and ending your marketing strategy with television is like only advertising in print newspapers: you’re reaching an ageing, shrinking audience and ignoring a vibrant digital news ecosystem where people younger than 50 get most of their news.
Savvy marketers use different technologies as tools to get attention for their brands.
Brad Berens will be delivering a morning keynote address on the first day of the ad:tech conference on Thursday 22 March at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel.
Please login with linkedin to comment
adtech Brad Berens mark ritson modern day marketing TechnologyLatest News
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.
The Fred Hollows Foundation Appoints Ardent For PR
Yes, we all like to have a joke at PR's expense. But sometimes it does important work, like this.
AI, eCommerce & Marketing Specialists Are In Increased Demand By Businesses, New Data From Fiverr Shows
Has your philosophy & anthropology degree left you with nothing but a huge HECS debt? Here's what you should've studied.
Perth’s First 3D Anamorphic Billboard Arrives Courtesy Of oOh!media
Do you love a buzzword? Now you can add anamorphic to the list as it relates to billboards, not a colleague's ears.
MasterChef Australia & Crown Resorts Launch Unique Dining Experience With ALUMNI
A pop-up restaurant staffed by MasterChef contestants! That's fine dining prices for first-year apprentice chef cuisine!
Amanda Laing Announces Resignation From Foxtel Group
Foxtel's chief commercial & content officer heads for the exits. Read nice things the bosses said about her right here.
The Lost Letters From Our Diggers: News Corp Unveils ANZAC Day Special
It's nice when brands respectfully acknowledge ANZAC Day.
Howatson+Company Acquires Akkomplice
Large indie acquires a slightly smaller indie. Much like a shark eating a tuna, just with less thrashing and blood.
Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Deprecation Again
In good news for the sale of picture library biscuit photos, Google continues to tease over the end of cookies.
Education A Low Priority For Aussies More Concerned With Cost Of Living Forethought Study Reveals
Study finds Aussies cutting back on education due to cost of living. Booze & Uber Eats sales remain largely unaffected.
“I’m Still The Same Person That I Was”: Rikki Stern Says “Fucc It” To Cancer Stereotypes
B&T always happy to promote the anti-cancer cause. Even brands that massively overdo it with the hot pink.
The Unapproved Climate Certification Allegedly Causing Mass Greenwashing
Are you left flummoxed in the canned tuna & free range eggs aisle? Just wait till this green certification gets up.
TV Ratings (22/04/2024): Fans Mock “Over The Top” Reaction To New MasterChef Judges
MasterChef returns for its 2024 season. B&T stands by putting peppercorns in Gravox & no one will be any the wiser.
Dentsu Restructure: Muddle, Harvey & Johnston Take Leadership Baton As Bass & Yurisich Exit
A large broom has swept through Dentsu's local ops this morning, taking with it some big names & the air con's cobwebs.
Industry Shares Trends Shaping The Industry This International Creators Day
B&T's asking adland creators to reveal their top trends. And it's not good news for your Jenny Kee cardigan collection.
Mable Extends HOYTS Sensory Screenings Partnership
Mable has extended its HOYTS sensory screening partnership. Vigorously defends its two-star Oppenheimer review.
Orphan Launches ‘They Need Our Help. We Need Yours’ For Children’s Cancer Institute
Anything to do with childhood cancers has B&T's 110% support. That said, we do ignore the red meat & alcohol warnings.
Smile Team Orthodontics & Keep Left Collaborate On Smile-Inducing Campaign
As parents would attest, given the cost of orthodontics you'd expect this campaign to be a lavish production indeed.
Opinion: How Video Calls Neglect Learning Diversity
Need an excuse to duck out of a video call this arvo? Show this to your boss.
DoubleVerify Achieves First-Of-Its-Kind Responsible AI Certification From TrustArc
DoubleVerify receives responsible AI certification. However, not its robotic vacuum that's been seen menacing the cat.
Smile For A Good Cause: The Social Media Campaign Giving Back To The Community
Are you known as the office Austin Powers? More for you teeth than shagability? Get snappy new fangs with this news.
Elon Musk Mocks Albo After ESafety Wins Court Injunction Against X
Albo's 2024 from hell continues - Rabbitohs in crisis, down in the polls and now feuding with world's richest man.
Real Estate Developer In Hot Water Over “Sexually Exploitative” OOH Campaign
Real estate agents again tops in the 'least trusted profession' polls, nudging used car salesmen & ad creatives.
Epsilon’s Shane Hanby: Post-Cookie Era Relies On “Teamwork” Between Brands, Marketers & Tech
This pro predicts more "teamwork" in a post-cookie era. Which spells bad news for the uncooperative or plain stubborn.