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August 07, 2008

Consumers or Marketers... Who's Responsible for Advertisements

Seth Godin asks: are consumers responsible for bringing about the marketing and advertising we see on TV, radio and in magazines and newspapers?

His answer is yes, partially. We would agree.

The argument is simple: if consumers didn't respond to the marketing and advertising by buying the products and services promoted in them, those very advertisements would go away - because if the companies kept paying to run them they'd go out of business.

So you can conclude that much of the advertising you see or hear airing for any period of time is likely pretty effective in generating some kind of profitable business result. That means it is a reflection of what grabs people's interest.

"I've maintained for years that marketing is so powerful that marketers have to take responsibility for the choices they make. And they do. But what about us? What about the New York Times reporter who writes an entire column about the cheap grill he bought at Home Depot--he's upset that it didn't come with better service... At some level, isn't he getting what he paid for? And when consumers so often choose the cheapest possible tickets for air travel, aren't we arguing for a lousy product? When I go back to a convenient B2B vendor even though they treated me poorly last time, aren't I complicit in rewarding that attitude?" - Seth Godin

Seth rightly points out that this does not mean marketers are not responsible for the choices they make. They are. For example, if the product isn't really that good, the marketer resorts to lies to sell it. In the long run, that business won't be around. In the short run the marketer may make money, but it essentially amounts to stealing.

Don't like ads you see or hear? Don't blame the marketers. Marketers are not making ads for their own entertainment. They are making ads that sell more of a product or service because that is what a responsibility that comes with their job.

You could say that the making of advertisements is truly democratic, and that consumers simply cast a vote with each one of their dollars.

Posted by Jeff Small & Brett Astor at 12:24 PM | Permalink