Once upon a time…

We had the likes of Leo Burnett, David Ogilvy et al. And they were the keepers of the flame of advertising.

Nowadays no aspect of advertising is as badly served as advertising itself. Where to day are the advertising voices that ring out as intelligent, passionate, current, and, more importantly, critical of current advertising practices?

Can you, for one moment, even imagine David Ogilvy not giving sarcastic comment to some of what passes for advertising these days – especially the use of the new technology?

Once upon a time we had an excellent heritage of critical writing on advertising. Unfortunately to day no one speaks with any authority either for or against advertising.

In our current trade press the lexicon of adjectives used by critics of advertising is…zilch…nada…nothing!

Even worse, the banality of what passes for intelligent commentary on all aspects of marketing/advertising is simply that – banal!

The current crop of writers have forgotten that their first calling is to write readable, intelligent and amusing articles. Because like everything else advertising needs strong criticism, it needs that to keep advertising strong and innovative. Bad advertising, and there happens to be a lot of it around these days, drives out good advertising unless there is someone there to stop it.

The current crop of writers and what they have to say about advertising is growing in irrelevance. Sometimes I feel that, when reading the marketing/advertising press that they have no idea who they are writing for. Sadly, a myopic tunnel vision is bought to bear on the subject currently in vogue – in this instance Web 2.0.

However what is really worrying is the fact that, in the instance of Web 2.0, there is no debate as to the suitability of Web 2.0 as an advertising medium, there is no debate as to the claims of it being accountable. Which, by the way, it isn't, it is too susceptible to all types of fraud and manipulation!

And there is absolutely no discussion on the huge, and growing, problem of clutter. Whether it's emerging digital platforms or the nooks and crannies in an ever-increasing buyable physical world – from dry-cleaning bags, coffee cups, door hangers and even houses. The simple fact of the matter is that clutter is leading to more clutter

So if clutter is such a problem, why isn't there a clear, unified way of thinking out a way to reduce it? And that perhaps is where a good debate and discussion within the Marketing and Media press could contribute, but no, no critics within the trade have emerged to courageously tackle this huge and growing problem!

Added to which is the headlong, unquestioning rush into all forms of new media. Like, for example cellphone advertising.

A much more critical stance would have questioned the very thought of advertising on mobile telephones.

Now the obvious has been confirmed, marketers' new-found fondness for cellphone advertising is not an enthusiasm universally shared by consumers.

When 4,000 adults were asked about different forms of mobile phone ads the overwhelming majority of respondents found them "not acceptable at all"!

"My new gizmo has gone up in smoke but I can't face ringing yet another call centre"…that was the headline in yesterday Times of London, as if in vindication of what I am trying to say here. "Customer satisfaction plumbs the depths as a survey suggests that we are fed up with poor services" states the Times.

I can guarantee that there will be no discussion/debate/criticism of that little article in the trade press!

Here I am going to announce the fact that we are trying ourselves to (partially) address the problem of reader satisfaction/dissatisfaction. On our blogsite, listed below this article we have a short questionnaire asking for your opinions on all of the articles I have written this year. And, more importantly, how we can improve them for your interest and satisfaction. Please take the time to visit and respond to the questions, we can all benefit from your input, so…thank you in anticipation.