New year....and the "struggle continues"

For most of us, January 05 2009 marked the first day back in the grind. Yep another marketing year down and now we are faced with the last one just before '2010', how's the innovating going?

In times like these, decent marketers will take a minute to analyse the direction of their marketing style/direction in the new year in comparison to last year's. Believe it or not, but the reality of '2010' has not yet dawned on alot of people and it is up to you marketers to create messages, linked to brands of course, that will slap the average Joe back to reality and effectively create awareness. Question is how can this be done?

Ok so technology has evolved, media rates have increased dramatically, market research has lied, campaings have lacked relevance, mr client has dissipated his money and is not seeing any ROI, but that's ok, I mean mr client does not mind buying media space from a friend because he took him out to a golf tournament last year, right? Nothing will change if the same processess are followed. Mr client's media director is best friends with a sales guy from an outdoor company for instance and will assiduously recommend that media type as the best to use for an upcoming campaign, chances of innovation and breakthrough marketing? You tell me...

Corruption is everywhere, but lets just blame government while we slip a couple of grands in an envelope to give to the media director as a thank you for the large media space purchase. Relationships are significant of course but do yours have extended benefits beyond a simple media sale? If so then good luck to you and if not, then you are going to get beaten in the race to getting that monumental budget by your competitor.

We are constantly faced with struggles/ challenges so in the new year, let us thrive for NEO-MARKETING and see whether this leap year really is 2000-and-divine!!! Aluta Continua....