I had the opportunity to speak at an event in the great Midwest early this week alongside  none other than the President Emeritus of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, Andy Sernovitz. It was a great time and the audience threw a lot of thoughtful questions our way in a panel-session at the end of the event.

Upon returning home, I received an email from someone who attended and wanted to share his words here:

The late Fred Rogers, who could captivate and move a room full of the most cynical adults (like agency folks) in a way that had to be experienced to be believed, wrote that all of the things that each of us does ultimately springs from one primary motivation: the need to be loved.  That thought came to me as you talked about “squishy” words like passion and love.  I think all that you both talked about yesterday does come back to something extremely fundamental about they way humans interact and why they connect with a product or brand.

Well said.

It’s back to basics time. And when I engage with a roomful of ad agency types, I’m reminded of how easy it is for all of us to lose sight of the basic stuff. Authentic relationships. Dialogue. Respect. And passion.

Sidebar: The world will always need marketers, but maybe we need to start calling ourselves something else. There’s a stigma attached to that name – one that automatically stirs up emotions of distrust and underhanded tactics in the eyes of the public. It’s just a thought.

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