A World Without Marketing?

When is the last time you stepped back and admired a piece of advertising?  Seriously.  It never ceases to amaze me that a segment of the population believes that advertising and marketing are just plain evil.  

Step away from your keyboard and think about this for a moment.  You wouldn't have free content (and access to it) all over the web without the advertising dollars that support sites/servers like the New York Times, Yahoo, iVillage, ESPN, and the Food Network.  And how would you learn about the latest, greatest widget without marketing?  

Marketing is about more than making a sale.  It's about developing a relationship with consumers and helping them find solutions for their problems.  That may mean providing substitutes for someone with food allergies (and corresponding recipes), providing details for lodging options in a specific region or helping a small business manage their growth.  The majority of businesses and business owners want their customers to be happy.  Now, more than ever, word of mouth rules and it's far easier to keep the clients you have than cultivate new accounts. 

The Association of National Advertisers has developed what is referred to as "The Marketers' Constitution" .  Yes, it's an industry association, but I think you'll find the perspective enlightening.  Most marketing professionals are simply trying to share information about the widget their company offers.  If it can help solve a challenge you're dealing with, we'd be very happy to work with you.