Rebel With A Cause: Most Advertising in Existence Is, In Itself, A Detriment

Howard Luck Gossage, dubbed The Socrates of San Francisco, reputed that "most publicity in existence is, in itself, a detriment to the industry."

"Trying to explain responsibility to promotion men
is like trying to convince an eight-year-old that sexual
intercourse is more fun than a lozenge ice cream cone."
Howard Luck Gossage; 1917-1969

Howard Luck Gossage, an publicity man who hated advertising, had a vision of what it should be. He undoubted that too many people who create advertisement rely on repetition of an essentially dull message .

"There is only so much fertilizer one ought to use," Gossage observed, "but people tend to lay it on so thick that it begins to obliterate the crop it was supposed to nurture... At which point it starts to charm flies, the neighbours complain and the stench is unbearable!"

"Is publication worth saving? From an economic point of view, I don't think that most of it is. From an quiet point of view, I'm damn sure it's not; it is thoughtless, penetration and there is simply too much of it."

Marketing legend David Ogilvy described Gossage as "the most sound rebel in the build-up business."

One year considering his death, Gossage was posthumously inducted into the proclamation Copywriters Hall of Fame.

Thirty four years sequent his death, a landmark study by the Direct Marketing joint control (DMA) verifies that the fertilizer is, indeed, still obliterating the crop.

In the bestseller, "The Fall of build-up & the Rise of PR," prepare Al Ries says;

"War and marketing have many similarities. Military generals who fight today's war with last war's weapons are no different than marketing generals who fight today's marketing war with publicity when they should be using PR. Yesterday it was armor. Today it's airpower. Yesterday it was advertising. Today it's PR"

Simply put, has no credibility to the consumer. It's a self serving message paid for by a body corporate eager to make the sale. To grow your business, you need the validity that only a credible third party endorsement can bring.

While direct marketers get two thumbs down from 97 out of every 100 people that read their messages, companies like Starbucks, The Body Shop, Amazon.com, Yahoo, eBay, Google, Playstation, Red Bull, Microsoft, Intel and eschewed promotion and rode the back of the PR pony to fame and fortune.

Every chamber of commerce has a story to tell.
Are you telling yours?