The Renaissance Marketer

The “renaissance man” is the concept of a man (or woman — frankly it was coined in less equal times...) who is very competent in many, and not directly related things. The most famous examples being some of the men who lived through the actual renaissance period; Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli etc. 

There is a fantastic quote from the great Isaacson biography of Da Vinci that frames it perfectly. He is writing to the regent of Milan, applying for a job. He lists all his qualifications; his ability to design weapons, bridges, chariots, do sculpting in various material, and then at the very end:

“also, I can do in painting whatever may be done”

Indeed! Of course, Da Vinci is probably the worlds most famous painter, but it was just the 11th bullet point in what is anything but a humble brag. 

One of the reasons why I love the field of marketing, is that it lends itself to renaissance thinking. People who can only paint, will never really get it. Marketing should be a multi-disciplinary field. And I don’t believe we can all be our own specialists who meet up and make magic. It has to happen inside all of us to an extent. 

Thus, I think the future belongs to renaissance marketers. 

This is the ideal I aspire to:

We must combine creativity and communication with Excel, BI and CRM. Keep the ability to get shit done and move fast. But take a step back to think strategically when needed. Mix thinking and doing. Write copy to humans as well as code to machines. 

We must easily jump from quantitative to qualitative. From systems to humans. Understanding and appreciating the 1:1 sales process as well as the subtle force of emotional advertising at scale. Understand the 4 Ps and the marketing theories that are still relevant even 50 years later, but also grasp how the internet and other factors added, changed and distorted those things. 

Marketing is a toolbox filled to the brim with possible solutions to complex problems. The most dangerous people in marketing only know how to wield a hammer.

“We have to create a new campaign” — really? Are you sure that also this problem is cured with a campaign? I once met a marketer who had a “spiff” or a promotion (buy 5, get one for free!) as the solution to seemingly every business challenge under the sun. And of course I am myself have been guilty of reaching for a “digital” hammer on many occasions. 

So we need renaissance marketers. And we need to think like renaissance men and women — to become well versed in both the theory that is so fundamental to our practice as well as the most recent science and practical learnings in our space. 

And we need the widest possible toolboxes we can get. And understand when something requires thinking and expertise from related fields like psychology, organizational theory, behavioral science, computer science and even the arts and history. 

One of the things I truly dislike in marketing is the tendency to write “manifestos” for something as mundane as an advertising campaign. Get over yourselves. But I’m willing to put myself out there on this one and publish this as a personal manifesto for the marketer I want to be. 

I want people to call me out when I’m screwing in nails with a hammer. To come closer to my ideal of the renaissance marketer. 

Thank you for reading. I will now get off my high horse. ??