It’s advertising but not as we know it

Well, we’re agreed on one thing – however we define this industry, we must work harder to help people understand the economic, social and cultural value that all we marketers (in all our guises) deliver (Leader, MW 2 December). That’s our ambition.

I’d also agree that the vexed question of our name, founded in 1924 in a different time, may not be pure semantics.

Here’s the thing though, like any good marketer our thinking is guided by the consumer. And when you ask the average punter what they call all this stuff, from search to shelf wobblers, they answer “it’s advertising, stupid”. Maybe we need to test that assumption.

We’re not wedded to it though. So if anyone has any suggestions, let us know.

Tim Lefroy
Chief executive
The Advertising Association