It has been a busy year so far for marketing departments, especially those without any real foundation and understanding of why people might engage with them, and their lousy products.
Each of the three has been taken as an opportunity for many marketers to show their humanity and support for those impacted by tweeting, posting, and even making expensive TV ads, to demonstrate their support and humanity.
By the way, buy my shit, because I ‘reached out’ to you!
We recognise those real acts of humanity and courage: volunteer firefighters risking their lives to save homes, (while some of them lost their own); medical teams and carers risking their lives to save our loved ones; business operators fighting to preserve their livelihoods while serving their community – those employers who’re quietly revising apprenticeship schemes to ensure the young, those most at risk from social injustice, get an even break.
My nephew is a highly skilled tradesman. He is willing to take on (what his mother calls), ‘rescue’ kids. He teaches them work ethic, trade and life skills that will enable them to survive and prosper as they move on from their apprenticeship. He’s making a real difference by putting his skills and energy into education and training; he is saving lives.
The so-called marketers ‘reaching out’ make no difference at all. They are talking to themselves from inside their bubble, making themselves feel good because they can. It is like taking a shower with a raincoat on: no value, and stupid.
Even worse than the deluded wankers who call themselves ‘marketers’ are the ones sitting in Boardrooms who condone this crap. They spend money that is not theirs on some consultant to develop a ‘Vision’ and ‘Values’ statement that no-one cares about, or believes. They give a nod to social responsibility while operating with transfer pricing with a Head Office in some tax haven so they can minimise taxes – the very means by which a society services their communities and by which they can address inequalities. They use the “Kerry Packer” defence: that governments are stupid, lazy, and waste the money so why pay them a penny more than is required by the laws that cannot be avoided? And yes, governments have their contingent of arrogant, self-interested people who mouth platitudes to get elected and gain the trappings of power and money, however, they are outnumbered by people who’re doing the best they can with what they have and taxes are their only tool to fund changes that will help others … like our volunteer services, our health professionals, our independent business communities – people like my nephew – who are keeping it real and doing genuine good.
Get out of your bubble, and do something useful, and for Christ’s sake stop reaching out to me with automated emails and flatulent advertising, to make sure I am OK!
