3 thoughts on bursting the industry bubble

In our marketing and advertising industry bubble, we often get caught up in our words/acronyms/general nonsense, and forget the real reason for what we do; usually helping organisations sell a bit more, and to real people, consumers or business owners, many of which are feeling the pinch of rising costs (a potentially flatter Black Friday incoming)! To the big majority who don't shop at Waitrose or go to Soho House.

Also, Iess spoken of, I feel the geography of where we do the work has a massive impact.

I left London 4 years ago and live back in the East Midlands, whilst travelling more and experiencing different cultures and attitudes. My previous bubble of SW London, Soho and of great Old Fashioned spots, agency events with Google and nice brunches, as much as I love that stuff, and am admittedly in town every couple of weeks, I was not as rounded at my work as I am now for sure.

3 things this week have made me think about this more:

1. ONSITE INT' YORKSHIRE - I did an all-day marketing workshop yesterday with a client up this way (near Doncaster aka : Donny), and despite some areas that (by their own admission) they struggled with re strategy/planning, they know their customers inside out, the things that make them tick, and importantly the fact they are looking for a deal, and don't want faff. There's no slides, talk of moving the needle or long v short. Yes there are areas I tightened up I hope (Archmon's MO of helping small biz with big stuff, great!) but it was refreshingly pragmatic.

2. EMPATHY NEEDED - coincidentally, the day before I finally read Andrew Tenzer and Ian Murray's 'The Empathy Delusion' research at Reach plc. It is 4 years old now but a must read for marketers and planners, some alarming stats, including the insight we're no more atoned or empathic as an industry who do comms than any other/general population, and that's an issue. I implore all to read it in agencies or marketing client side!

3. SPEAKING TO PEOPLE - Through supporting initiatives like Brixton Finishing School, TipStart and Common People over years (and in a mentor call Monday) I've first-hand seen great talent outside of the middle class London-heavy sector who need a hand, a loan for a train ticket, a tweak of their CV to compete with the cognitive biases that exist. Real people with great work ethic who make our industry better. But are often overlooked.

BOTTOM LINE - think wider not just deeper!

LINKS - After leaving SW18 (amidst Covid with remote work fait-a-complis leading to reality), I wrote in my NewDigitalAge column 'For the digital media industry, does London matter so much any more?' Obviously it transcends digital, it was more the point that one can log in from anywhere, the genesis of course of my business and migration from the smoke. Has much changed? https://lnkd.in/edYBSV8T

Also, Empathy Delusion link - a must read (annoyed at self for leaving it so long, one of many ebooks I've finally cleared out the swelling Downloads folder) https://lnkd.in/e-KCvAWN

SA