Mr. Godin’s Take on Marketer’s Responsibility
Seth has a great post out that discusses the power that marketers have and the responsibilities that go along with the power.
From a person who was marketed some very shady products and services in past careers, I have to say that his post is dead on.
Marketers need to be thinking about the products they sell and the impact they have on our audience. A marketer’s job is to create demand for a product or service. If the product or service is going to kill you target market or will have negative effects you have got to live with it. And if you can live with that you have problems beyond your nine to five.
On a related note, I was watching a movie called The Corporation the other night and they were interviewing a psychologist who works with marketers and large corporations. Her goal is to hook kids on products so the company has a “lifetime customer” (sound familiar McDonalds?). The psychologist also teaches companies how to use advertising to make children bother their parents to go places or get products. An example was that 1/3 of all visits to Chucky Cheese was because kids nagged their parents until they were taken. The psychologist was very proud of that.
Crazy, scary stuff, eh?
Comments
I wonder if you sucked at evil marketing if it's more just than if you were good at it.
P.S. I don't go to Chucky Cheese for my kids. I go for the poor service, crappy food and loud sounds.
Posted by: nalts | August 31, 2006 07:24 PM
Hey Nalts!
Funny about Chucky Cheese...seems like a bad place to go if you have a history of beating up wait staff, irritable bowel syndrome, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
As far as your question goes, I am not sure. I would like to think that sucking at selling poor products is a good thing...but it sure made me poor...
Posted by: Marketing Punk | August 31, 2006 08:39 PM