Ritson: Marketers Are Obsessed With “Shit That Doesn’t Matter” & Briefs Have Become “Pointless & Embarrassing”

Professor Mark Ritson has used an industry debate in Sydney to slam Aussie marketers for forgoing the discipline’s basics for a “love of shit that does not matter” (see the current obsession with the likes of VR and AI).
Ritson, an adjunct professor at Melbourne Business School and general industry rabble-rouser, told the audience at the ad:tech conference on Friday that the IT department had encroached too far onto marketing’s patch, leaving everyone confused.
He added that this had meant agencies were now receiving briefs that were “pointless, empty and embarrassing” as brands abandoned strategy to chase the next new, shiny, techy thing.
The goodly professor – who represented the affirmative side – went head-to-head with US marketing guru, Brad Berens, in a debate titled, “Technology is merely a distraction to true marketing strategy.”
A debate, for the record, Ritson was convincingly voted the winner by ad:tech attendees.
The problem, Ritson believed, was that too many marketers had forgotten the basic pillars of their craft. Stuff like: Who are you targeting? What’s the message? And what are your tactics?
And herein lies the problem. “Too many people in marketing mistake tactics for strategy,” Ritson told the ad:tech crowd.
“The problem is too many people working in tech think they’re working in marketing strategy,” Ritson declared. “Sure, they’ve got super important roles to play, but strategic it is not.
“As I wander in and out of the boardrooms of Australia and I meet the senior marketers that populate this country I’m filled with deep and enduring pain. There is, with a few notable exceptions, no fucking noticeable strategy to be seen.
“In the boardrooms of Australia, our chief marketing officers and brand managers have mistaken tactics for strategy.
“They have no idea who their targets are, they have no clear positioning and they have no objectives, but what they do have is a love for shit that does not matter; also known as techno-porn! You know of what I speak – Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality, Bitcoin and robotics. Interesting little jingly toys that have nothing to do with marketing and strategy at all.
“And the reason they are a distraction is because they get in the way. And I keep meeting marketers who don’t have a strategy but have a real passion for Instagram and want to strap their customers to a VR headset without any apparent information as to why.
“Why VR has anything to do with yoghurt is beyond me,” Ritson said, to roars from the crowd.
To prove the point, Riston declared that marketing was in “serious decline” when it came to every effective measure of effectiveness and ROI.
“Despite all the dreams of hyper-targeting and personal one-to-one marketing and the bullshit that gets talked, every effective measure shows you since 2012 the effectiveness for every dollar spent on marketing in most developed markets is in decline.
“And it’s in decline because we’ve mixed up strategy for tactics and tactics for strategy. And that’s because technology has become a distraction to marketing strategy,” he said.
Lastly, he said the problem was playing out for agencies who were being handed “embarrassing” briefs by clients bereft of any strategy whatsoever.
“They just want Instagram and Bitcoin and whatever they’ve heard recently on the street, right? It’s not good enough and it is endemic of the distracting qualities.”
“You can’t enable the nonsense surrounding digital to pervade your thinking,” Ritson believed.
“Digital marketing is a ridiculous term. And the proof is, just invert it, all these digital marketers… where are the traditional marketers? Smoking pipes upstairs watching 1950s TV? Have you not noticed that everything is digital? Have you not noticed outside that 64 per cent of all media is now digital or LECD screen? Fifty per cent of Australians now listen to radio digitally. There is no analogue TV anymore. There is no such thing as digital, it’s just marketing,” he said.
Latest News

Sky News Australia Nabs Ross Greenwood As Business Weekend Anchor
Australian business and finance expert Ross Greenwood has signed exclusively with Sky News Australia as business editor and anchor of Business Weekend. With more than 40 years’ experience covering business news in Australia and around the world, Greenwood brings expertise to the role of Sky News business editor where he will lead the network’s business […]

Christian Wilkins Becomes Pantene’s First Australian Male Brand Ambassador
Christian Wilkins beats out Peter Garrett and Josh Frydenberg to become Pantene's first Australian brand ambassador.

Brands Deploy Mittens Memes After Bernie Sanders Goes Viral
Becoming slightly bored of Bernie Sanders memes clogging your social media? Let B&T add just a little more clog here.

Bumble Goes Public Despite Apple Privacy Change Concerns
The B&T editor's authoritative research confirms Bumble is ahead of Hinge when it comes to getting completely ignored.

Dan Andrews Cracks Top 20 In Hottest 100: “It’s Officially Time To Get On The Beers”
Victorian premier now referring to himself as DJ Dan Man & The Comrades after snaring Hottest 100 top 20.

The Rise And Rise Of The ‘As A Service’ Model
Here's a top piece on data as a service model. And as data's adland's "new gold", you could turn it into a new tooth.

Fitness First Unveils ‘Put Yourself First’ Campaign Via Thinkerbell
Reinvigorate your New Year goals with this new campaign. Unless those goals were to get more slovenly & take up smoking.

Carat Unveils Its Annual 2021 Trends Report
Looking for flying cars & self-styling hair helmets in Carat's 2021 Trends Report? Alas, no news, B&T's sad to report.

“We Don’t Respond To Threats”: Frydenberg Hits Back At Google
The mudslinging continues between the government & the tech giants. Expect Google's return sludge some time tomorrow.

Cristiano Ronaldo Turns Down $10M A Year To Be Face Of Saudi Tourism Over Human Rights Abuses
B&T's sure Saudi Arabia would be the perfect getaway for NRL end-of-season tours, bucks parties & even schoolies week.

Girls React To Kamala Harris Inauguration In Inspiring Spot Via Girl Up
All your colleagues bludged off on a four-day weekend while you're stuck in the office? Find some motivation here.

Cricket Australia Stands Firm On Decision To Remove ‘Australia Day’ From Marketing Campaign Despite PM’s Criticism
According to Wiki, other reasons to celebrate 26th of January include 1918's Finnish civil war and Ellen's birthday.

The Year Of Trust: Why 2021 Will Be Ruled By The Consumer
Columnist says 2021 will be ruled by the consumer. Probably not the consumer who wants an overseas holiday, however.

Joe Biden Fronts TIME Cover Depicting Mess Left By Trump Administration
One minute you're "person of the year", the next you're excrement on the sole of a shoe. As Trump's discovered here.

Cooks Urged To Help ‘Killjoy’ Vegans By Embracing Plant-Based, Via Mush-Boom
New campaign urges us all to embrace mushrooms. Presumably the button-type, not the magic variety.

Kayo Launches New Free Content Offering
Kayo launches new free content offering. Sadly, still no love for fans of elephant polo, frog racing or cheese rolling.

Seven Snares Former Nine Exec Clare Gill To Head Government Affairs
Undoubtedly the first rule of any government affairs role is having to lie about pretending to enjoy Canberra.

Bus Shelters Filled With Golf Balls In New Holey Moley Promo, Via Seven + QMS Media
You'd have to admit, if Holey Moley proves a fizzer it definitely won't be from marketing the absolute crap out of it.

Google Has “No Real Choice” But To Disable Search In Australia If Media Code Legislation Is Passed
If Google turns off search in Australia, B&T can no longer guarantee outright plagiarism of other media sites.

Cannes Lions Jury Has Highest Representation Of Women In Festival’s History
In arguably bad news for ladder, chainsaw and ute ads, Cannes now boasts it's biggest number of female judges.

Bush Heritage Honours Heroes Of Bush Conservation In Latest Campaign
Here's one of those nice stories B&T likes to run. Makes a refreshing change from our usual evil & gutter journalism.

Australian Open Controversy No Cause For Concern For Sponsors
Could Nick finally do the nation proud at this year's Oz Open? Or will he bow out early in a huffy tantrum as usual?

Get On The Beers: BrewDog To Gift Brewery To Mashd N Kutcher If They Chart In Triple J’s Hottest 100
As a warning, if you're unaware of the Mashd N Kutcher song then this story will make little to no sense.

TV Host Jimmy Kimmel Farewells Trump With Glorious Spoof Send-Off Video
Admit it, much like the Sizzler restaurant chain, Gangnam Style & chlamydia you're going to miss the Donald, aren't you?

Can’t Cook Pasta Al Dente? Barilla Now Has Spotify Playlists That’ll Help
With all due respect, surely the perfect tune to cook pasta al dente would have to be Joe Dolce's 'Shaddap Your Face'.

Outdoor Industry Launches First $3M Pro Bono Health Campaign For Department Of Health
B&T's always happy to report on the industry doing good. Except if it requires a financial donation on our part.

Facebook Launches Mardi Gras Parade Viewing Events Grants Program
It's mid-January & that means two things: abandoning all New Year resolutions & the start of Mardi Gras stories on B&T.

Zenith Appointed To SBS’ Performance Media Account
Surely this SBS news would be more appropriate in Flemish or Hungarian, yet, sadly, it's all in English, we're afraid.

IMG Wins Asian Television Award For NBL20 Grand Final Series
Admittedly, we're not huge basketball fans here at B&T. Although we always enjoyed OJ Simpson's movies.

Wunderman Thompson Launches Annual Future 100 Report
New report says immunity wellness, cloud gaming & micropreneurs are in & storming the Capital dressed as a viking's out.