The Effectiveness of Marketing

I have two words on the effectiveness of marketing. Pet Rocks.  Ok, here are two more. Chia Pets.  Now I'm going to be cruel. Britney Spears.  What do all of these have in common?  All together now - effective marketing.

Here is a simple definition of marketing. Marketing is making you want something that you don't need. Really, did anyone really need a pet rock, a Chia pet or a Britney Spears CD?  No - but over the years, people have gone out and spent their capital on those very items. Human beings are very simple creatures in our needs: air, clean water, food, clothes, shelter, and company.  Do we need to spend $100 for a gourmet meal? Do we need to live in a McMansion complete with a stainless steel kitchen and five full bathrooms? What about owning that designer dress that's $2500 with the $500 Coach handbag? We don't NEED these items. Our nutritional needs can be met with simple foods, our clothing can be warm and servicable and inexpensive; and most of us grew up in with only one bathroom! Then why do so many go beyond the basic physical needs?

That's where marketing and branding come in. To go into the psychological aspects of marketing would take more time to explain than you might have, but in a nutshell - The point of marketing is to appeal to our basic psychological needs of our place in the community, fear and sex (sometimes all three at once). These are psychological needs that may fly under the radar unless you have been exposed to advertising literacy. Subliminally (and overtly) the advertisers appeal to our insecurities and needs to feel personally powerful and psychologically complete.  If you have this car, you too will be king of the road - nothing, not even the most rugged terrain will stop you from going where you SHOULD go.  If you get this tissue paper, you will be the perfect mother, as you will have met your child's needs.  Can you afford to be a bad mom?

Is marketing bad?  Marketing is a moral neutral.  It is what we do with marketing that creates any type of morality question.  You would be naive if you thought that our presidential candidates are not being marketed to the American Public.  You would be very unwise to not realize that the government is constantly marketing its War on Terror to its citizens. A smart non-profit utilizes whatever tools it can to effectively educate the public about its mission and to market the service that they offer!

Any business or non-profit entity that does not market itself effectively will not stay in business.  Word of mouth may be a powerful thing, but in these increasingly hectic times where attention is a highly sought commodity, it would behoove libraries and the ALA to get rid of the advocacy and start marketing!  

What about Branding?