Zealots, Maniacs, and Hustlers

I am frequently accused of being anti web marketing. I'm getting tired of responding to these accusations all the time, so I've decided that every few months I'm just going to re-publish this post from July 2009.

Here at The Ad Contrarian global headquarters, we've developed a reputation for being anti-digital media and pro-traditional media.

We are neither.

We have no personal interest in, or allegiance to, any medium. We're in favor of whatever works.

Our only purpose is to fight bullshit, hyperbole and words without meaning. We are against zealots, maniacs and hustlers of any stripe.

Yes, we are vociferous in denouncing people who tell us that

• traditional advertising is dead
• television is dead
• there is a new species of consumer that no longer needs to be persuaded
• the web has “changed everything”

We would be equally vociferous in our denunciations if traditional media hustlers were saying that

• digital marketing is dead
• the web is dead
• there is a new species of consumer who no longer share information about products
• tv has “changed everything"

As a matter of fact, you will find that we have been just as voluble in our disdain for the "brand babbler" wing of traditional advertising as we are for cult members of The Divine Church of The Internet.

There are many smart, reasonable people working in digital media who do not make preposterous assertions; who do not think that social media is the answer to every question; who do not speak in dreadful, impenetrable jargon.

We respect and appreciate these people.

All we want to do is get our readers to understand:

• the risks and rewards of all media investments
• the difference between facts and “buzz”
• that success stories (both digital and traditional) tend to find their way into print but failures get buried
• that the “narrative” that has arisen about social media marketing is largely anecdotal and substantially fact-free.

We try not to be advocates of anything other than common sense. We try not to be enemies of anything other than bullshit.

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Yesterday I changed my RSS feed from a short version to a complete version. For technical reasons I have had to return to the short version. C'mon. It's one more click. You can use the exercise.