thought that, more than ever, at a time when the advertising aspect of marketing are under severe questioning as to its effectiveness, that a few, unquestionable research studies proving, once an for all, that advertising works, would be extremely well received!

But then again, and to the best of my knowledge, there is still not one research study that establishes conclusively that advertising sells prod

This weeks issue of Marketing is, as they proudly announce, their 75th Anniversary Issue.

So I eagerly grabbed it hoping that it was going to reveal not only the past history of Marketing and Advertising in England but, and to me, more importantly, the exciting future that lays ahead.

Was I ever wrong!

There was not one mention of the word “communication”, despite the fact that, in my opinion, successful communication is what marketing is all about.

Rather there was a self-congratulatory note, like the headline to one article “Changing Times, lasting truths.”

Which said, basically, “The advertising industry has changed enormously in 45 years. Or has it?

Then it went on to say “…reading an article on choosing an agency in 1962 appearing in Marketing they found many of its recommendations relevant today”!

Really!

I don’t think so at all, the communications scene has changed so much and advertising agencies are falling by the wayside.

As the Magazine says, consumer tastes, technology and media channels have all changed beyond recognition since the 30s, but the industry’s core principles have remained remarkably constant!

Best summed up by the words “One trick ponies” There was even an article on the success of BT, this little gem “Understanding and spelling out the importance of connections to our consumers has summed up BT’s marketing efforts of the past 25 years, its strong history of popular advertising is testament to this”

Really?

And there’s the rub, throughout this little 75th exercise there was not one mention of accountability

And one would have thought that, more than ever, at a time when the advertising aspect of marketing are under severe questioning as to its effectiveness, that a few, unquestionable research studies proving, once an for all, that advertising works, would be extremely well received!

But then again, and to the best of my knowledge, there is still not one research study that establishes conclusively that advertising sells produ

successful communication is what marketing is all about.

Rather there was a self-congratulatory note, like the headline to one article “Changing Times, lasting truths.”

Which said, basically, “The advertising industry has changed enormously in 45 years. Or has it?

Then it went on to say “…reading an article on choosing an agency in 1962 appearing in Marketing they found many of its recommendations relevant today”!

Really!

I don’t think so at all, the communications scene has changed so much and advertising agencies are falling by the wayside.

As the Magazine says, consumer tastes, technology and media channels have all changed beyond recognition since the 30s, but the industry’s core principles have remained remarkably constant!

Best summed up by the words “One trick ponies” There was even an article on the success of BT, this little gem “Understanding and spelling out the importance of connections to our consumers has summed up BT’s marketing efforts of the past 25 years, its strong history of popular advertising is testament to this”

Really?

And there’s the rub, throughout this little 75th exercise there was not one mention of accountability

And one would have thought that, more than ever, at a time when the advertising aspect of marketing are under severe questioning as to its effectiveness, that a few, unquestionable research studies proving, once an for all, that advertising works, would be extremely well received!

But then again, and to the best of my knowledge, there is still not one research study that establishes conclusively that advertising sells prod

tions relevant today”!

Really!

I don’t think so at all, the communications scene has changed so much and advertising agencies are falling by the wayside.

As the Magazine says, consumer tastes, technology and media channels have all changed beyond recognition since the 30s, but the industry’s core principles have remained remarkably constant!

Best summed up by the words “One trick ponies” There was even an article on the success of BT, this little gem “Understanding and spelling out the importance of connections to our consumers has summed up BT’s marketing efforts of the past 25 years, its strong history of popular advertising is testament to this”

Really?

And there’s the rub, throughout this little 75th exercise there was not one mention of accountability

And one would have thought that, more than ever, at a time when the advertising aspect of marketing are under severe questioning as to its effectiveness, that a few, unquestionable research studies proving, once an for all, that advertising works, would be extremely well received!

But then again, and to the best of my knowledge, there is still not one research study that establishes conclusively that advertising sells prod

There was even an article on the success of BT, this little gem “Understanding and spelling out the importance of connections to our consumers has summed up BT’s marketing efforts of the past 25 years, its strong history of popular advertising is testament to this”

Really?

And there’s the rub, throughout this little 75th exercise there was not one mention of accountability

And one would have thought that, more than ever, at a time when the advertising aspect of marketing are under severe questioning as to its effectiveness, that a few, unquestionable research studies proving, once an for all, that advertising works, would be extremely well received!

But then again, and to the best of my knowledge, there is still not one research study that establishes conclusively that advertising sells prod

thought that, more than ever, at a time when the advertising aspect of marketing are under severe questioning as to its effectiveness, that a few, unquestionable research studies proving, once an for all, that advertising works, would be extremely well received!

But then again, and to the best of my knowledge, there is still not one research study that establishes conclusively that advertising sells products!

If you accept my thesis that the key to successful marketing is successful communication followed by successful selling. Then allow me to insert here the correct definition of the word “communication” and I would, at the same time, like to suggest that this should have been included in the 75th Anniversary Issue of Marketing. What is communication? After a little thought, most people come up with a definition that is about transmitting and receiving information. A little more thought might produce the word exchange. This is more satisfactory, but still assumes that communication is about moving something about conveying, or sending, or delivering, some commodity called ‘information’.

In fact, the word has quite a different root meaning. It derives from the Latin communis, meaning ‘common’. Or ‘shared’. It belongs to the family of words that includes communion, communism and community. Until you have shared information with another person, you haven’t communicated it. And until they have understood it, the way you understand it, you haven’t shared it with them.

Communication is the process of creating shared understanding.

Never once did this special edition of Marketing mention the fact that we must change in the way we think about media, there must be a major shift away from thinking about media as ‘channels’ down which we tip messages and information. Only in so far as they serve and help advertisers access and harness the power of the social networks that lie behind them.

Neither did this issue of Marketing once seriously discuss research, especially focus groups, both of which