The Creative Marketer’s Big Advantage
January 27th | 2012 By
Friday, January 27th, 2012 Category: General Marketing 5 Comments 
A brief history of marketing and me: As a college student I majored in it. Worked my way through school in a marketing firm. Been in the industry my entire adult life. Embraced digital advertising, CRM, social media, web video, and marketing automation before most.
I’ve witnessed seismic shifts in our industry. But from the start, this technology lovin’ guy has known that marketing is largely a business of ideas.
One idea can change a business’s trajectory. An awesome campaign can make a losing marketing program wildly profitable. And make your job way more fun.
But with the rise of useful technology, I’ve seen declining interest in conceiving, building, and managing campaigns backed by amazing ideas. And I’m not simply referring to the “creative” piece – I’m speaking of all areas where creativity can make a difference.
Technology enables marketers to do great stuff. But lots of people are able to operate today’s tools. Few know how to grow campaigns that change everything. Those who do, and can harness the right equipment, are in rare company.
Question: Are marketers too focused on tools, process and the like, and overlooking what matters most?
Lois McMaster Bujold: “Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards.”
So, it’s easy to agree with the point in the post above. It also doesn’t hurt that in doing that, the posters get a live link to their websites. Isn’t that one of the most common “secrets” or “tips” to a basic SEO plan? It’s also easy to agree that today it’s not like it was in the old days when all we had was print, radio, and TV.
What’s more interesting is examining why we are witnessing this dependence on technology to the detriment of creativity…and, challenging that.
A couple reasons for this disappointing trend are:
1. the influx of younger marketers who’ve grown up only knowing the Internet who, consequently, rely solely on the “power of the Internet” and its tools and,
2. all the people who’ve been sold the $97 study course to become an online marketing guru/ninja/expert in 10 easy lessons.
The common denominator is neither group knows any better and that extends to thinking creatively and using the tools to execute instead of the other way around. It’s kind of like a case of the tail wagging the dog.
So, what’s the solution…? Discuss among yourselves! I have to go tweet about this now….;>)
Robert,
So true! Bells and whistles are replacing the creative spark. Memorable marketing campaigns are built on experience, research and the foresight to include longevity. Great piece, as always.
Absolutely Robert! There’s no tool that thinks or that can replace good old fashion creativity. Yet the “easy money” mentality coming from many marketers dictates we let someone else do the thinking while we just capitalize.
Unfortunately, it’s probably the reason why 95% of all marketers fail too.
Robert,
Absolutely! You have nailed it, marketers today, too many of them, are almost completely focused on the tools, even more than the process. I call it “blinded by technology”, a condition that essentially paralyzes their creative juices and subjugates everything to technology.
The really creative types however look at this situation from a 180 degree different perspective. They simply intuit that their idea span and creative breadth can be expansive as the universe because THANKS to the technology, the probability of being able to execute brilliant ideas is now more possible than ever.
Good thought provoking post…thanks.
Best,
Gene