Marketing and "Kid, tie the donkey where the Master says!”
The old Marketing Director, Alex, entered the meeting room with an enigmatic smile.
In front of him, a group of young marketers were pawing the stage to present their latest campaign for a major client, a luxury fashion brand.
After half an hour of glittering slides and high-sounding terms, Alex clapped his hands and leaned forward.
“Beautiful, brilliant... ...but have you asked the Client what he really wants?”
Silence.
The young marketers exchanged awkward glances.
Alex smiled and told an anecdote from his youth.
“I was a Junior in an agency and we presented a revolutionary campaign to a handcrafted shoe manufacturer.
Innovative, modern, viral!"
The Customer looked at it and said, "Beautiful, but I just want people to know that my shoes last 20 years".
My boss turned and, with a sigh, whispered to me: "Kid, tie the donkey where the Master says!”
(...it's an old saying of Neapolitan culture...)
General laughter.
Then the Alex pressed on, “What I mean is, our job is not to impose ideas, but to listen, understand and translate what the Customer wants into effective strategies.
Sure, we can suggest, educate, innovate... ...but if the Customer wants to sell quality and we focus on style, we are speaking different languages”.