Mark Ritson's latest column in Marketing Meek touches on the criticism Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife faced on the birth of their first child when they announced that they are to give away much of they wealth.
But, in his opening he raises an interesting point - that enthusiasm is the enemy of marketing activity.
Cynicism and critical thinking are worth traits in marketers. So how do you balance and harness enthusiasm, particularly in professional services, with a healthy dose of reality.
Perhaps giving yourself time to think is top of the list. Followed by talking through ideas with colleagues. And, as always, come armed with other counter-ideas.
There is no doubt about it, enthusiasm is the enemy of good marketing. I’ve seen it too many times. The product manager so in love with his new device he cannot see its functional flaws. The account manager so in love with her agency’s “big idea” she does not realise that it fails to meet any part of the client’s brief. Or the digital strategist so enraptured with social media that he cannot countenance a world in which archaic tools like radio or outdoor have any place. No doubt about it – enthusiasm is a bad thing in marketing.
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