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« Telling Others What You Do | The Scent of Personality »
November 12, 2007
Meaning Before Marketing
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Brand & Identity
Freelance strategist and creative director Andy Whitlock wrote a great article in the November 5 issue of Adweek entitled "Where's the Meat?". Despite his genuine posture and tone, Whitlock is on a crusade for meaning. "Forget the purple cow," says Whitlock, "It's what's inside the cow that counts. Unless I have a distorted memory of my mother preparing Sunday lunch, you start with the meat and add the glaze, not the other way around."
Andy must be a distant cousin because this is what Personality™ is all about. The meaning must come before the marketing. Unfortunately, too many brands get it wrong.
"Most marketing models, however, are designed to create messages and, more often than not, any potential meaning or substance that shows up in the process is used only to sell the fluffy end product. And because messages are mostly just information, the creative packaging around them often masquerades as the idea upon which a campaign is then built. Even the most "viral" piece of content can lack meaning. Today more than ever before, brands need to offer substance to stand any chance of getting into our hearts--and not just our in-boxes."
Andy calls this opportunity for brands to pursue meaning a "meat market." And I think he's right when he says its underexploited.
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