Open Discussion: Does Marketing Ruin Everything?

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Michael Martine • 22 Comments

There’s an old saying (I don’t know where it came from) that goes: “Marketing ruins everything.”

I think there’s some truth to that, but by no means is it the entire truth. Does marketing really ruin everything, or is that an oversimplistic way to try and describe something else? And if so, what is that something else and how do we guard against it?

Filed Under: Blogging

http://www.tonyteegarden.com Tony Teegarden

I believe marketing has a lot in common with the idea of the difference between manipulation and persuasion. It's the “intent.”

I think it's the intent of the marketing and how it's applied to the message. What context it colors the product or service in.

I believe the phrase itself is a pretty broad generalization that acts more as a blanket. I could be way off on even understanding the question but marketing doesn't ruin everything in my opinion.

That's almost like saying guns kill everyone. No, people kill other people. Guns are just the tool to do so. Marketing doesn't ruin everything, it's the intent behind the marketing and the way in which it's used that ruins.
bretsimmons

I don't know if it ruins everything, but it will ruin Facebook – just watch. Over the next 24 months, as marketers flood the space and clog it with spam, I think you will first see young folks exit, then others will lose interest as well.
- remarkablogger
  
  Not to be a total devil's advocate, but doesn't that happen with everything?
  That's what prompted the question in my mind.
- http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown
  
  And there was me thinking it was their mom's coming onto Facebook that was forcing the “young 'uns” away…
http://biancafiloteo.tumblr.com Bianca Filoteo

I don't think it's the entire truth either. If done right, marketing can bring in so many benefits. But it will ruin everything if you get so obsessed with it that you steer off-course of your marketing plan (for example, trying to do things that seem like it works for other businesses, but not yours, being annoying, etc.). If marketing makes you forget about the real people you're reaching out to by bombarding them with crap and not paying attention to how your audience responds…then yes, marketing will ruin everything.
http://nathanhangen.com/blog Nathan Hangen

As a consumer, marketing helps me find what I want. Yes, I get tired of it, but I enjoy much of it.
Leon Noone

G'Day Michael,

Good Heavens! Marketing doesn't ruin everything. Everything is marketing. After over 30 years running a business, if there's one thing I've learned it's this. If you don't get your marketing right, your success will always be less than it could be.

And the US auto industry for example, has been in trouble for years because it got it's marketing seriously wrong.

I simply can't understand why we mention sales and marketing in the same phrase. They shouldn't be on the same page. Most of what happens on the web isn't internet marketing. It's old fashioned, hard nosed selling in fancy dress.

If you want to have a successful business, get your marketing right. It wont guarantee success. But poor marketing will increase your risk of failure.

Well….you did ask…..

Regards

Leon
http://broadcasting-brain.com Mark Dykeman

Marketing doesn't ruin everything, but greed, laziness, and a lack of original thinking do.

One person in a fish pond will catch a lot of fish. If they do it right over time, they won't deplete the stocks. But as soon as other people hear about their success with that hole, others will flock there and cast their lines with the shiniest, biggest, most noticeable lures. But then too many fish in the same spot, such that a bunch of people get few if any fish. Then the fish all get caught or they smart enough to swim somewhere else.

I think that's why you're trying to capture by the phrase: “marketing ruins everything”.
http://www.codeanthem.com/blog Amber Shah

To me it's a semantic question. If you have a fantastic useful product and you want to tell the world about it and build a community and get feedback to improve it, then it's not only great but it's necessary for any business. That's not evil and it can even be fun and it is technically marketing.

If you want to get people to buy your product, where it's potentially a waste of money for them or not the best thing for them, then you have to resort to Marketing with a capital M. Coke needs marketing because no one needs or wants Coke, until they get marketed to. Same for Nike or McDonald's.

I always think of my son (and future kids). I want to give them an abundant childhood and pass on some money, but I'm not interested in holding onto a McDonald's where the only value IS the money. I want to be able to tell them: I did this awesome thing that changed/improved something.
http://www.hireheathervilla.com Heather Villa

I don't think Marketing ruins everything BUT bad marketing does! You have the group of people that put thought into their marketing, plan it strategically, use a marketing calendar of events, just to name a few of the high level things. Then you have the “other” group. This group just blasts their information where ever they can with the thought that if people see their name/brand enough then people will flock to them.

Smart target marketing is great!
Dumb market saturating, non-strategic marketing ruins everything!
http://www.evowebdev.com/blog/ Ray Gulick

I think marketing that offers value and respects the people in its market is almost never problematic when directed to people who are in the “target market.” All to often, however, marketing does not meet these simple tests, and it's directed to the wrong people, or has little value to offer, or is disrespectful, or all of the above. In those cases, it “ruins everything.”
http://www.ablogaboutnothing.com ABaN

Over-marketing does. Marketing in and of itself is necessary both from a business and a consumer perspective. If you don't market I don't know about you or your product. But when you and every single other person on the face of the earth is marketing your product people get sick of it.
http://flawlessfitnessbook.com/blog FitJerks Fitness Blog

Where did this saying come from? I've never heard of it. The only way I can see marketing ruining something is when its over-hyped to the point of ridiculousness *cough* iPad *cough*.
http://www.financiallydigital.com Nunzio Bruno

I don't think marketing ruins things at all. I think, like any part of a business plan or model, that it requires time and energy to bring to light the goals of the business. That said I think people get so caught up in the technical and managerial processes that when it comes time to think marketing strategy there's just no energy left. Along the same lines marketing performance is a lagging indicator in that your efforts today won't necessarily be measurable today unlike producing/creating something or even making decisions based on the direction of a business. So marketing doesn't ruin things per-say it's just not as fulfilling as some other tasks in the business process. Great question!!
http://twitter.com/themarketingguy Jay Ehret

Now, if your question had been “Do marketers ruin everything?'” the answer would be an emphatic YES! The motto is “People will be marketed to whether they like it or not.” Who else would put advertising on toilet paper?
http://snapwebmarketing.com/blog Karri Flatla

Marketing doesn't ruin everything. People's BS does. And the Internet marketing space is REALLY ripe for change in my opinion.

I've been writing about how business owners and entrepreneurs actually want to “DO” marketing that empowers and transforms them (instead of consuming more “guru” nonsense). Gee, wouldn't that be cool?

It's a “Can we cut the crap and just help people do great things in their biz with their marketing?” kind of feeling
http://evengrounds.com/blog Julius

I think that marketing doesn't ruin everything. This factor is normally the backbone of most businesses. I agree with our friends who have commented that we should remember though not to overdo it.
http://evengrounds.com/blog Julius

I think that marketing doesn't ruin everything. This factor is normally the backbone of most businesses. I agree with our friends who have commented that we should remember though not to overdo it.
http://sites.google.com/site/edmacevoice/home Ed Mace

In my business of voice overs,I find I need to constantly push my voice and websites.If I don't, no one else will.So personally,it's an important aspect in developing my career. Case in point : ) http://sites.google.com/site/edmacevoice/home
- remarkablogger
  
  Normally I would delete such a gratuitous self-promotional comment, but
  
  since that is the subject of the post and you did such a perfect job with
  
  it, I really have to leave it.
  
  Hat tip to you, sir.
http://stormywriter.com/default.aspx Robert Medak

Marketing is building relationships and not being pushy about your product or service.
When it becomes pushy it is spam.
http://woodworking-books.org Best Woodworking Plans

I don't think marketing ruins things at all.

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