Marketing is not evil (revisited):

Link: Doc Searls Weblog � Go from hell. I am a big fan of the "good doctor" and "the cluetrain manifesto" was a major part of the inspiration behind "Silicon Stories" but I do not understand Doc's obsession with the "evil that is marketing."

Sure, I don't necessarily want to be marketed to 24/7 on each and every connected device that I own and over the telephone at dinner, or most other times, but that does not lead me to the conclusion that "marketing is evil." Doc may not be going this far, but his rants are pretty damn close.

Our (as in "us Americans") ability to market has led to one of the greatest standards of living the world has ever known. Yeah, there are no perfect economic systems, but this one has managed to work quite well, thank you very much, despite the fact it often abuses the least of those among us and over compensates the rest.

Even the non-marketing "buy side movement" will require marketing if it is to succeed!

Comments

[Doc Searls]

The argument is not against marketing, but against what marketing too often becomes. I think if we equip customers with ways to be both *independent* of vendor silos, and better able to *engage* with vendors, your bottom line will be especially important. The "buy side movement" (first I've heard that, but it's accurate) will indeed need marketing to succeed.

The goal is engagement.

The challenge for marketing (and sales as well) is to welcome and take advantage of truly independent customers.

I'd say more, but I'm between planes.

Doc