Marketing is NOT a dirty word

As someone whose job title (for lack of anything more accurate) has often labeled me as a Marketer, I have lived with a constant frustration due to the lack of understanding of what it is that marketing folks actually do. Additionally, I have always hated the term "marketeer". Who the heck came up with that inane disneyism anyway?

I am not a cheerleader.

I am first and foremost a communicator and connector.

I have always considered myself a stand-in for the customer. A good marketing professional connects the product to the customer, the customer to the product and now the customer's to each other. I jumped onto the cluetrain way back in the day because it gets back to the fundamental basics and reminds companies that they need to RESPECT their customers.

The role of the marketer is a dirty word when it was about hucksterism and hype --this is not the kind of marketing I want to associate with and thankfully never had.

Seth talks about not trusting marketers, and I agree that it is not a surprising outcome of poor marketing, but it is such an EXCITING time to be in marketing. FINALLY the power is shifting back to the customer and and forcing companies to realize that today's marketing is fundamentally about listening, communicating and most importantly FACILITATING.

I have SO much more to say on this, and I can't wait to hear what Doc has to say, but for now, I tip my hat to Tara Hunt . She is doing a great job this week articulating what is going on and jump starting the conversation (check out the wiki).

Tara - I am not sure about that 'pinkomarketing' theme as it conjures up images of bad 1950's TV for me -- but who cares, I am 200% behind the concepts. You go girl!

Technorati tags: marketing, cluetrain, pinkomarketing