The marketing business has a way of producing (or attracting) characters. From P.T. Barnum's crass hucksterism in the 19th century (yes, Barnum was fundamentally a marketer), to the urbane sophistication of David Ogilvy, practitioners of marketing arts have become recognizable brand names themselves. Joining that group is Sergio Zyman.
For those who missed the last few decades of marketing news, Zyman was once big. He was Coca-Cola's marketing guru (twice), and went on to become the enfant terrible of the business. Never missing a chance to speak out against marketing's many absurdities and inefficiencies, Zyman lets loose another salvo with his latest book The End Of Advertising As We Know It.
These are dark days for anyone in the ad game. A whipping post even in the best of times, ad agencies have recently been buffeted by slashed budgets and increasing evidence their clever, quirky campaigns simply don't work. Blamed (perhaps unfairly) for some of the dot-com bloodbath, agencies certainly didn't mind raking in the fees when times were good. But as Zyman correctly reports, in no uncertain terms, the party is over.
Let's start with Zyman's new marketing mantra: "Simply put, the goal of advertising is to sell more stuff to more people more often for more money." At first blush that might seem facile, but a certain Zen-like simplicity merits respect. The book goes on to illustrate, in painful detail, how agencies seem to have forgotten or ignored the fact advertising should increase sales.
The modern ad business grew up in the heady days of post-WWII America, when times were good and disposable income flowed. Golf and martinis were as important (if not more so) than the creative product, yet sales grew. Not surprisingly, agencies thought the good times would last forever. Things didn't work out quite that way.
Agencies got so full of themselves they began to view themselves as professionals far above the fray, simply too accomplished to trouble themselves with such petty concerns as sales. "The truth is that most agency art directors are frustrated movie directors and most agency copywriters are frustrated playwrights," Zyman writes, "and both consider themselves artists." Ouch.
It's easy to take cheap shots at ad agencies and lately, the agencies have had no greater enemy than themselves, Zyman's words are all too true. To be fair, not all the blame can be cast on creative departments. Equally culpable are spineless account executives who toady to creatives, and rapacious media people who will invariably recommend the most profitable advertising vehicles.
Giving more ammunition to Zyman's barbs is the fact he's spent time on both the client and agency sides. Too often, brand managers and agency account directors, ostensibly on the same team, heap scorn on each other when it's time to assign blame for sagging sales. The truth is both are at fault: agencies for refusing to change their thinking for over 50 years, and companies for allowing agencies to run amok with marketing budgets.
Things can't go on like this much longer. Continuing agency layoffs and dismal company sales figures are symptoms of the disease. In the end, advertising will change. How quickly depends on how well they heed this excellent and devastatingly accurate book.
IE 7
Firefox 2.0
