Crime: Unethical marketing and gross misuse of marketing jargon
I have to boycott companies that want to find an "emotional motivation" to give "differentiation" so that they can help their consumers to rationalize the lack of performance when they (the companies) deliver sub-standard products. No matter how experienced and possibly smart these marketers are, this is simply TOO LAZY!
This is multiplied by stupidity when none of the clients can make up their mind of what they want to find out from the research. In the brief they just decided to throw in some marketing jargon for good measure to seem smart because it seems like that is what they want to find.
"I just want new insights! XXX making them feel they're going to be successful is great!" Are you even listening to what you're saying? A good job will give you success, a good education will give you success, and expensive car will make you feel you have succeeded. Will something as ordinary as a drink or tampon be able to deliver success? Maybe it will help them a little, but just a teeny little nano bit. You have to translate this need for "success" into something down to earth and relevant with little linkages in between. "This makes me feel it's going to help me succeed" is a superficial and easy way to brush people off a conversation.
And I'm off tomorrow morning to "solve" this "problem" for them. My boss is too busy and tired to give this too much thought. So I guess they will have to be satisfied with non-director me.
Labels: thinking out loud