Comments on: 5 Popular Lies

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:04:54 +0000

Charles,

Thanks and you make some good points – I’ve always liked McCann Erickson’s slogan “Truth well told.”

However, the communications moniker does make some sense. It’s a realization that advertising is just one part of the puzzle which includes PR, customer relationship management, etc.

In any case, I get what you mean.

- Greg

By: Charles R Demers, PhD

Charles R Demers, PhD — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:28:59 +0000

Well done, Greg.

You make good points, as you often do in your posts.

Just an aside… Most of the lies you attribute to people (either as individuals or the companies they represent) in marketing or advertising.

The HR world and the university world classify marketing/advertising people as “communications” people.

That classification has done great damage to the field of personal communications. Marketing and advertising people often, as your piece on “Lies” demonstrates, MIS-communicate or communicate misinformation or disinformation. While they intend to communicate, the intention of the communication often centers on a deception; wanting the listener/reader to act in a way s/he may not have acted in the absence of the message in question.

A “good” marketer/advertiser, in my humble opinion, educates the listener/reader about a product or service that, when they acquire it, will improve their lives (or the lives of those they care about, or the world) in a way they knew not before hearing the message in question. Further, it will have an improvement value greater than the sale price.

Let us cease calling marketing and/or advertising communications. Maybe then our interpersonal communications will begin to improve.

Keep pushing the idea envelope, Greg.

Charles R Demers, PhD
Principal
AMI International
Author: Communicate Clearly NOW!

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:18:16 +0000

Eric,

Good to see you again. Have a nice weekend.

- Greg

By: Eric Goldman

Eric Goldman — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:25:10 +0000

Hi Greg;
Been away from Social Media for a while and so good to get back, especially to something like this with real meat. Thanks.
Like Byron, I especially like the last one as we are dealing with just this issue now, ourselves. The world of SEO is filled with snakeoil sales people who claim just this as their mantra. Out latest post sheds some light on the “lies” which are perpetrated by – dare I use the word, “gurus”on this blog?
Perhaps I’m being a little harsh here, as I’m sure many of the folks involved, just like we were ourselves, were not actually aware of the real search volumes and were equally misguided by Google’s Adword’s tool. Either way, your post highlights the lie and the process which leads up to it. And that’s, as Toad said, a Good Thing. Well done!
.-= Eric Goldman´s last blog ..Google’s “search volume” estimates are not what you think =-.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:09:19 +0000

Mike,

Actually I post only twice a week, and most of the posts are related to my job. Another thing is that I keep a reserve, so I don’t write two posts every week. Sometimes I write more, sometimes I write none. Often, when by the time they are up the posts are weeks (and sometimes months) old.

- Greg

By: Mike Pascale

Mike Pascale — Thu, 20 May 2010 22:54:22 +0000

Nice article, Greg.
I have to ask how in the world you are able to write these on a daily basis AND answer every comment and still get your work done! I hope this *is* your job and you are well paid for it because you devote a great amount of effort and skill to it daily. I hope it’s paying off handsomely for you, as it’s genuine content rather than the usual spam that often passes for “content” on other sites (and in CA threads)!

As for the lies, I sure would love to have a genuine conversation with some companies, especially about their customer service…Unfortunately when I call, I either get nothing but automated responses, or someone speaking with an accent as thick as peanut butter.

Best of continued success to you and all you do.

–Mike

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 17 May 2010 07:20:18 +0000

Chris,

It’s a valid point. However, the other side is efficiency, and broadcasting works, and measurably so (although with fragmentation, not as well as it used to).

So while conversations are worthwhile, they aren’t nearly enough.

- Greg

By: Chris Higgins

Chris Higgins — Mon, 17 May 2010 01:57:34 +0000

I disagree a little on the Conversations topic.

I am bombarded with broadcast ads on tv, radio, cinema, print, outdoor etc. If a brand wants to approach me on social media, a place that i associate with information sharing with people I know, it better not be dumbly broadcasting ads at me.

If it doesn’t add real value or somehow engage me beyond the other forms of media, i will always unfollow, defriend, block application etc

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 17 May 2010 01:18:26 +0000

Michael,

Thanks for a great metaphor! I hope you don’t mind if I use it at some point:-)

- Greg

By: Michael Gury

Michael Gury — Sun, 16 May 2010 21:53:20 +0000

Dear Greg, I really appreciate this post. In marketing, at some point, there is a certain congruity of illogic, stupidity, shreds of truth, and complete ignorance of communications. It’s not that the commercial intent isn’t worthy but sometimes when they all meet each other, they form a kind of glue, and it’s pretty hard pull apart all the bits.