The critique of advertising has been that marketers have no stories to tell, but everything to sell. Clearly the industry sees it differently. And I agree. Even an ad is a story, but usually it’s about the assumptions of our commodities system, and not necessarily one that enriches our spiritual lives. The following story marks a shift, and I welcome it. I think Procter & Gamble’s Jim Stengel is right now when he says business needs to be more about people. Amen to that.
LAS VEGAS (AdAge.com) — “Telling and selling” is defunct.
Procter & Gamble’s Jim Stengel described a major cultural shift that he believes is turning the world’s largest marketer into a starter of conversations and a solver of consumers’ problems rather than a one-way communicator. “It’s not about telling and selling,” said the global marketing officer of the company that once lived by that simple mantra. “It’s about bringing a relationship mind-set to everything we do.”