HERESY

Okay, I have to say something.

There's been a lot of talk at this conference about not using the word "consumers" anymore. Some say we should call them "people." I agree, and have been talking about this for some time.

But - here's a radical thought...is the language of marketing actually more insidious than it is imprecise?

In other words, do we need to use words like "target" and "consumer" -- because the minute we start thinking of them as "people" they won't be fair game anymore? As mere prey for our marketing efforts? Is it this kind of orientation that allows us to ignore the moral and ethical questions that may be bothering a few of us?

This has been on my mind over the last few months, as I see my beloved advertising industry celebrate efforts that conceal their marketing intent towards people. Where we reward efforts like "brand content" and "organic integration" that help us sell our wares without letting people on to the fact that they're being marketed to?

Where we pollute their attention spans and entertainment outlets with an ever-increasing array of "Urban Spam" -- as PSFK put it so well?

Let me be clear - I love marketing -- clever, creative, inventive marketing where the people we're reaching are treated as actual living human beings.

With the respect and dignity that we'd want for ourselves.

Alright - let the angry comments and emails begin. If I'm not called Lenin within the hour, I'll be shocked.

AAAA account planning conference