Truths about Advertising's Turn and Marketing's Descent (from Computer Scientists).
Essential reading to understand what computer scientists from big tech experience in advertising

Truths about Advertising's Turn and Marketing's Descent (from Computer Scientists).

Reforming institutions, setting standards, experimenting and, collaborating with the media, journalism and the arts (not big tech).

From its birth early in the 20th century, advertising delivered ‘Truths Well Told’ in support of the media, news, and journalism, while marketing fulfilled its purpose to ‘make and keep’ customers in support of enterprise innovation and economic growth.

In the four decades from the end of World War II, the media thrived, new brands and industries developed, and economies grew by the measure of GDP even if they were buffeted by regular business cycle interruptions caused by financial excess.

In the 21st century, came the Turn in the practice of advertising and the Descent in the role of marketing. Now we are entering a fourth decade of the decline of media and journalism, the suppression of innovation and growth, and the consequent polarization that must be admitted as causing devastating damage to society and well-being.

Advertising is less creative and less effective. Marketing is less valued and less funded. After years of denial, the advertising and marketing industries are openly interrogating their own performance. Conversations are starting. Op-Eds are circulating.? Conferences are planned. Books are written. Studies are being initiated.

My contention is talking within the advertising and marketing industries is a necessary first step but insufficient for fundamental change. Perhaps some of the glaring and endemic fraud will be cleaned up. Perhaps more talented marketers and their agencies will be empowered to build brands with the insight and imagination of which they are eminently capable.

The problems go deeper. The consequences and effects are widely recognized, sharply dissected, and frequently condemned in large and respected forums outside the bubble that is our world. We should hark to people beyond the bubble, listen to their talks and podcasts, and read their papers and books.

They are computer scientists and technologists, monopoly and platform analysts, citizen and rights activists, economic historians and futurists, philosophers and integrators, legal and political scholars, post growth economists, ecologists, and democracy advocates and ethicists.

I here recommend reading their insights and experiences of the role of advertising and marketing in the economy, society and environment. Their views are widely disseminated and should make us reflect and invite them into the reimagining and reshaping of our practices, institutions, and values.

Let’s start with three computer scientists and technologists, because a major aspect of the Turn has been advertising’s capture by and handover to Big Technology.

Jarod Lanier

“If money is flowing to?advertising?instead of musicians, journalists, and artists, then a society is more concerned with manipulation than truth or beauty.”

A computer scientist, visual artist, technologist and music composer among many talents, Lanier has worked with Microsoft Research among many tech organizations.

The essential read is his book Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now and an article There is no AI .

?Tim Hwang

“Attention is declining because it's chopped up into billions (like subprime). Advertisers still think they’re buying attention, now it’s downgraded.”

Hwang is the former global public policy lead for A.I. and machine learning at Google

The essential read is his book Subprime Attention Crisis

James Williams

“While we weren’t watching persuasion became industrialized … advertising’s scope expanded beyond the provision of information to include the shaping of behavior and attitude.”

Williams is a former Google strategist and is now a Philosopher at Oxford University

The essential read is his book: Stand Out Of Our Light

There are many others, and it is notable how many departed Google as the Turn accelerated. The career trajectory, writings, and interviews of Meredith Whittaker , another ex-Googler, are essential to understand the advertising-led business models of Big Tech and alternative paths that could have been followed and might still be.

Advertising and marketing can:

  • Explore and experiment with going to market and brand building strategies through their own communities and data without paying tolls to big tech.
  • Develop collaborations and programs across the media, journalism and the arts that generate public participation and revenue for these players.
  • Reform their institutions to set standards for training, certification, accreditation, transparency, and codes of conduct backed by a mechanism for collective enforcement.

Stewart Pearson

Stewart believes in Consilience, the unity of knowledge across disciplines. He has lived, worked, and traveled globally in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. He settled in the Evergreen State and Seattle. After studying Statistics and Marxist Economics in the U.K. he had four decades of experience in marketing and advertising focused on building client brands directly and globally.?He was Global Chief Client Officer and Vice-Chairman of Wunderman when it was the fastest-growing major agency in WPP. David Ogilvy once sent him a telex from India and Lester Wunderman told him stories of Picasso from the village in France where both of Stewart’s heroes had lived. Stewart is on LinkedIn and Twitter , and at [email protected] .

Laura Bartlett

Vice Chair of mothers2mothers Int'l. and Consultant

2 个月

Very insightful and informative. As always...

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