Sarah Stratford, strategy director, Archibald Ingall Stretton
A few months ago I was at a party in Bristol. Not my usual crowd: teachers, social workers and so on. I got chatting to someone, and the conversation went as follows:
Him: “So what do you do?”
Me: “You really don’t want to know.”
Him: “No, go on. What do you do? I mean, it’s not something evil like advertising is it?”
Me: “Um…”
I thought better of launching an impassioned defence of our industry and craft right there and then, not least of all because it was two in the morning, and I wasn’t sure I was capable of making a convincing case. But on the way home, I did start thinking: when did advertising and marketing become the worst thing you could do with your life?
OK, I exaggerate slightly. But not much. We’re not up there with politicians, bankers and estate agents. But we’re not far off.
Why? I think at one level, the juddering halt the economy’s come to means the sheen has come off what we do – we’re seen as the handmaidens to a lot of the people that got us into the mess we’re in, selling dreams it turns out we could only afford on credit that we now can’t pay back.
More substantially, as we’ve spent the last 15 years or so preaching corporate social responsibility and greater transparency to those we work with, it’s not that surprising some of the spotlight has been turned back on us, and some of the tactics we use. Hell, I’d feel embarrassed if I was linked to a brand that indulged in astroturfing.
How do we turn things round? Fundamentally, it’s by realising that what we do has to change. Not only do our communications have to be more considerate, but we have to be challenging ourselves and our clients. It’s not about selling any more, but adding value. How do we make sure brands add more to people’s lives? How do we help people express themselves? How do we give them creative innovation that’s actually useful? How do we help them do what they want to do?
If we can start answering those questions, I think we might be able to say ‘I’m in marketing’ with pride over the canapés.
