Changing the focus of marketing
While the definition of marketing has always encompassed a large number of activities, it is the promotion and selling of goods that most marketing practitioners seem to focus on. Dramatic changes in communication are causing changes in consumer behavior. Along with all this change perhaps it’s time that the focus of marketing gets readjusted. Instead of tactics that are designed to sell and promote, why not focus on those that improve the customer experience? Instead of advertising agencies that promote business, why not have agencies focused on improving business? It’s amazing what that small shift in thinking does to behavior. The research, insights, and tactics are not that different, mainly just how they are applied.
The Creative Department
The power of titles is something one learns about very quickly once they enter the business environment. While most titles are likely intended to describe job function, they in the end become much more. Titles describe rank, importance, and often become prescriptive of how one behaves and thinks. I am manager therefore I must manage. I am a creative therefore I am creative.
The problem with this is that it’s not reflective of how things actually work or how they should work. The idea of the creative department in today’s marketing environment seems archaic to me particularly in the digital realm. Anyone who has been a part of the production process of a website should understand without question those labeled as the creative do just a part of the actual creation. UX and technology folks are equally creative, yet for some reason an assigned to some other silo which I believe greatly limits creativity. True innovation comes from a cross-disciplined team that constantly blurs the lines of roles. So, let’s all move beyond the idea of there is one department within an organization that’s creative.