Jacks of All Trades or Masters of One?
There can be misconceptions regarding various roles and strategies available in marketing communications and advertising. When trying to understand how marketing or advertising works, the old adage “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing,” unfortunately applies. Sometimes what seems to be a logical thought is actually a huge liability. There is often a thought or understanding even more logical.
Think of all the businesses that never get past being a time consuming series of many little tasks for the owner. The business growth structure simply isn’t set up correctly. Or it could be corrected – nothing wrong with correcting towards perfection!! While it’s often natural for clients and employers to try and understand the processes, experience, skills and strategies required in marketing strategy and copywriting – there’s years of gathered knowledge, experience and continued learning required which, no matter how hard we try – can’t easily be imparted in a couple of weeks of working together.
For example, there is often very little knowledge of the benefits and liabilities of Generalist and Specialist practitioners in the various fields available to sell your goods and services. There are even many different theories on best possible sales methods. You may not of even thought about this idea – christopher copywriter – as your marketing consultants are simply operating on this experience in the background to our work for you. There’s a great discrepancy, of the available participants, in the value and quality of usable skills matching the best possible outcome – that is, providing ultimately the greatest ROI (Return On Investment).
“Strong creative content is king. (or queen.)”
Marketing is as much a science as it is an art. There are words and strategies that sell much more than other words or media. Done well – it depends greatly on the various particulars and how they are created and reasoned to work. There is a huge range of facets which all contribute to the end game successful sales equation. In public relations and in gaining publicity there is different possible strategies to implement beyond just doing the work – it really is a highly creative process – when conducted well.
In Australia, the unwritten system we live within attempts to simplify roles into specific job descriptions. Often a singular marketing task involves knowledge of another role to be implemented most effectively – this is slightly more generalist in approach. Copywriter’s need to write for specific media, demographics and products or services – there is brand considerations and consistencies to take into account. It’s true that in reality many copywriters and designers working for large multinational advertising agencies – writing retail sales catalogues all day long. It’s usually about as thoughtful and creative as taking out the rubbish or wiping down the kitchen bench. (Having said that – THERE IS POTENTIALLY MANY different ways to take out the rubbish or wipe down your kitchen bench..)
“You’ll get more bang for your buck if you engage a smart agency who knows in great depth various methods of sales techniques, not just how to best flog them to you.” ~ christopher copywriter
It really does help to explore these things in some depth and incorporate strategy, understanding and empathy – marketing communications done most effectively – isn’t merely an exercise in spelling and grammar or proofreading. Marketing really concerns the semiotics of the whole company communications system and the people who are potentially making the purchase and knowledge of how these things have worked before and the psychology of human nature. There is a structural science to the art form.
We hope this slide show presentation helps clarify the situation a little more.
A greatly admired example of a brilliant Generalist or a man of many talents is - Leonardo da Vinci (The Generalist – A Jack of Many Trades) (də vĭn`chē, Ital. lāōnär`dō dä vēn`chē), 1452–1519, was an Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist, b. near Vinci, a hill village in Tuscany. The versatility and creative power of Leonardo mark him as a supreme example of Renaissance genius. He depicted in his drawings, with scientific precision and consummate artistry, subjects ranging from flying machines to caricatures; he also executed intricate anatomical studies of people, animals, and plants. The richness and originality of intellect expressed in his notebooks reveal one of the greatest minds of all time.
Slide show presented by christophercopywriter on behalf of M. Jackson Wilkinson, Design Lead and Senior Product Designer at LinkedIn.
