Core77

"Just doing my job" isn't anywhere near a valid excuse for careless marketers, according to Seth Godin in an interesting post on the need for more responsible marketing. "If marketing works, it means that free choice isn't quite so free. It means that marketers get to influence and amplify desires." And when those marketers happen to be blind, remorseless evangelists, well, that's when the storm comes a-brewin'. Basically, the message is that if you're gonna be paid to push, heaven help you if you're pushing eco-killers, health hazards, and all other known evils--and more importantly, tsk tsk! Shame on you.

If you get asked to market something, you're responsible. You're responsible for the impacts, the costs, the side effects and the damage. You killed that kid. You poisoned that river. You led to that fight. If you can't put your name on it, I hope you'll walk away. If only 10% of us did that, imagine the changes. Imagine how proud you'd be of your work.

The amazing thing is that over and over again, we're discovering that marketers who actually take responsibility for their marketing are actually more successful. Go figure.