Why Marketing Matters.

2020 Perspective

As years come to an end I like to reflect on marking moments in marketing. 

As a marketing executive, my opinions and sentiments about marketing’s role and significance in society have changed as have I over time. 

I’ve gone from being intensely in love and married to the trade, to having second thoughts and contemplating divorce and buying a one way ticket to India in hopes of restoring my soul and faith in humanity. 

If you’ve worked in marketing long enough, you know what it feels like to be utterly consumed. It’s a merciless trade that continuously demands more of you. It’s one where we’re expected to be magicians and unicorns. And I assure you: magic we make. Should you have any doubt, have a look at what you’re reading, eating, wearing, thinking, and then ask yourself—why? You’ll soon discover that marketing has played a vital role in shaping you and the world around you. And if you so beg to differ, preferring to see yourself as a nonconformist-freethinker…well, that too, is no coincidence—we know your kind. 

I’ve struggled with this. A lot. Because to be honest, marketing’s often inflammatory views are frequently at odds with my own remedial and progressive ones. 

But recently I’ve happily discovered that many people are just as angry with the status quo as I am. And many of my fellow marketers and ad-folk have just about had enough with all the sexist, racist, ageist, classist, highly edited nonsense that we’re sometimes (often) expected and commissioned to create, uphold, and promote. Our rage is a good omen—but we’re not close to atonement quite yet. What has helped, is that as a society we are steadily waking up and consuming more consciously. More of us are now raising our hand, leaning in, and rising to be heard, seen, respected, and included. 

That said, 2020 may have shaken us to the core, but it helped more of us gain foresight and perspective. And this indeed reignited meaningful conversations and demanded we hold each other more accountable for positive action. 

And as for Marketing and me—well, we’re slowly working out our differences as *it* learns to listen better and do better.  

To all those in the trade, and to all those that see right through it, I have only this to say:

Continue to raise hell—it’s humanizing.