Tara Hunt creates a 'Pinko Marketing Manifesto'. David doesn't like it....


In fact David gives an almost point by point explanation for why he thinks the 'Pinko Marketing Manifesto' is wrong.
As I was reading David's post, I would agree with him on one point, then disagree with him on the next one. That's not why I am posting this. (To be fair, many of the points that David was disagreeing with, weren't written by Tara.)
I am posting this because I think we may be creating a war that isn't there, or at least it shouldn't be. This isn't a war with the 'consumers' over who has control of the marketing message. Neither party has total control. Marketers have control over the marketing message that they send to their communities, and the communities have control over how they relate that message to others. If at all. And they can send a marketing message (feedback) back to the marketers.
But in the end, all parties play a role in how that marketing message is spread, and IF it is spread. And in what form it takes. The problem I have is trying to make this a proposition where the community is right, and marketers are wrong. That reasoning is not only incorrect, but it frames the argument in a cloud of conflict that will immediately cause many marketers to close their minds to the message.
When you tell marketers that, 'You are wrong, the community is right. Deal with it!', many of them will cave to human nature, stick their middle finger in your face, and say, 'No YOU deal with THIS!'
So which side is winning this war? If you have to ask this question, then be certain that YOU are on the side that's losing.
Because there is no war. There is a new reality that communities are hyper-connected, and their ability to efficiently communicate is growing exponentially.
But there is also an age-old reality that's never changed, and likely never will: Communities need marketers just as much as marketers need communities. The role of marketers isn't to cede control to our communties, and get out of their way, our job is to JOIN our community, and clear a path for them to help them reach their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. We walk with them. We don't lead them, and they don't lead us. Anyone that thinks otherwise, is missing something.
We join communities so that the line between 'marketing message' and 'community communication' becomes blurred. We join communities so that line between the wants and needs of the community, and our wants and needs as marketers, becomes blurred. We don't sit down and shut-up and listen to our community. We COMMUNICATE with them. We hear them, they hear us. Both parties begin to understand each other.
This isn't a matter of who's right and who's wrong. It's a matter of how can marketers and their communities work together as partners to get to a better place.
Pic of dogs being dogs via Little Ben