Marketing With A Crystal Ball

Yvonne Bianchi
Bellingham Business Journal
January 2002

It's 2002, and the world has changed.

Our personal lives, our professional careers, the way we conduct business - just about everything is now "different". If you ask me, the need for change was overwhelming. The inevitability of change was obvious. The method by which it has occurred was ultimately unfortunate. But, September 11th is now part of history. And while I am in no way suggesting that the date be dismissed or forgotten, perhaps it is time to begin a New Year in a fresh way. Perhaps it's time for a new approach to just about everything, including marketing.

So, in the spirit of (trying to be) a brave new world, I'd like to take a short trip down Bellingham advertising's memory lane, as well as pass along a few "futuristic" predictions regarding Pacific Northwest marketing, advertising and graphic design as recently shared by a few of my industry colleagues in Seattle. Those I choose to share are those I completely agree with - for their words of wisdom, or for their pithy humor! Mostly because I find them to be honest, and true.

"Those of us in advertising like to think we're innovators. We're not. We're early adopters of ideas. We're great at spotting emerging fashions and wrapping our messages in those navel-baring new ideas. I came of age during the era of "product-ness". Products were differentiated then and advertising took advantage of it. For Volkswagen, "think small" said it all. Then came "we-ness", the lets-all-hold-hands-and-"buy the world a Coke" era. After that came "me-ness", which was all about self-actualization, self-importance, and self-absorption. We did "Just do it" for long enough. We stumbled as we crossed the threshold into the new millennium. "Dumbness" squatted on our screens, refusing to leave our homes and get a life "Whazzup!" That brings us to the future. "Who-ness" has possibilities. It's the "we-ness" of the '70s, with a more discerning twist. Back then we wanted to hug EVERYbody. In the post 9-11 "who-ness" era, we want to hug people again; this time we just want advertising to help figure out whom to hug". - Kurt Jacobson; President, JayRay Ads & PR

"In the future, I predict that advertising will see a re-emergence of enduring relationships between agencies and clients. I believe that these long-lasting partnerships will become the norm again and that both entities will benefit. For agencies, these strong relationships will be essential to doing good work and maintaining a stable shop. And while business opportunities my be harder to find these days, as long as there are agencies that embrace trust, integrity and creativity, there will be clients who appreciate them and want to be on their team for the long haul". - Frank Grady; President, Grady Britton

"1) Business is going to get even tougher. Consumers have almost unlimited choices. If you don't offer the best product, with the best service, at the best price, you won't last. 2) The Internet will continue to become even a more integral part of all our lives, like electricity and water. Many transactions will occur only on the Internet. 3) Niche marketing will rule. The word "mass" will relate to the number of choices available, rather than the number of people reached at any one time. A marketing dream - and also a nightmare. It is more important than ever for companies to identify their niche and own it, and be prepared to re-invent themselves at a more brisk pace than ever before". - Steve Lawson; President, Friendly Voice Inc.

"Branding alone doesn't cut it anymore - companies must interact with consumers on a very human level. This is key to future success for these reasons: 1) Consumers are increasingly disloyal. Thanks to the Internet, products and services are becoming commodities. Service is increasingly becoming self-service. These forces are changing the way people think about brands. 2) There is no such thing as either a product OR a service. There are product/services or service/products, but neither exists exclusively without the other. 3) Brands MUST be more meaningful. More than a just a logo or a tagline, brands need to be managed throughout the organization, from packaging to service. They need to interact with consumers more closely. 4) Companies need to conduct themselves like real people. At the fundamental level, business is about people. As companies advance and become rooted in technology, they must maintain the ability to connect with people on very human level and show their soul". - Jerry Ketel; Creative Director, Leopold Ketel & Partners

"I predict that public relations will play a more active role in helping companies become better corporate citizens. Public relations will also do a better job of helping companies communicate their social initiatives to the public. Only a very small percentage of people believe companies participate in charitable endeavors because they truly believe in the cause. Public relations will also become a much more conceptually focused discipline. Ideas will continue to migrate to the center of communication and the rote transfer of information will become obsolete". - Patrick McGuire, EVP/General Manager; Edelman Worldwide/Seattle

And finally, the last prediction, which I believe, is also the best. From my former boss, and the incredibly creative and funny man responsible for some of the most memorable television ads from Alaska Air and the Seattle Mariners, Jim Copacino, owner of Copacino & Fujikada.

"I predict the advertising industry will continue to experience consolidation and globalization. Eventually, there will be one remaining worldwide advertising agency. And one remaining worldwide advertiser. Then the client will announce that the account is going in-house".

Happy New Year!

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