1.
Wrong idea about a philosopher:
Bookworm sitting in the corner of a dusty old library
reading an even dustier book.
Philosophers like most things in life come in
different shapes and sizes. Contemporary philosophers, however, occupy
themselves with a broad scope of current issues, from ecological thought and
movements, to the European crisis, the flaws of the prison systems,
sustainability, quantum physics, art, and, yes experiential marketing. Surely
not everything happens inside the same head and at the same time. The point is
that philosophy is a discipline deeply rooted by its interest in contemporary
life.
So, why would philosophers have anything worthwhile to
say about marketing?
The answer is simple: philosophers are expert
communicators with a highly structured mind. Being an expert communicator means
truly knowing how to persuade, how and when to use arguments and when emotional
messages, and how to create structural profiles based on qualitative or
incomplete information. If these skills are not enough to give them an advantage over
most marketers I know, keep in mind that they have also the uncanny ability to see problems from
a myriad of different angles, which can be of great help when managing teams and clients. If you ever had a client asking for something
that seems entirely at odds with his own goals, no one better than a
philosopher to explain why a different course of action should be taken.
This ability to transform problems into reasonable silutions is fundamental, because it
would allow you to, in this particular case, approach the client from his own
point of view making the at times impossible task of changing someone’s mind a
feasible possibility.
‘Hmm this surely doesn’t sound so bad, but you said
something about ‘experiential marketing’…
Yes! I refer to
experiential marketing for one important reason. The creation of consumer
experiences, whether at the level of the offering or of the marketing efforts
requires for a complex network to be created with a sole aim in
mind—effectiveness! The hard truth is that most people learn by doing or by
trial and error, which can be extremely costly for a company and which can
leave a stain on a marketing manager’s reputation.
Philosophers are not only able to envision this
network, without losing track of its complexities, but they are also able to
provide an additional and incredibly valuable insight on human experience
itself. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is not some abstract or perhaps even
mystical story about the human spirit—although you may get that when you go for
after work drinks. Their insight is valuable because it provides you, on the
contrary, with a perspective on experience based on precisely those material
means at your disposal.
A philosopher will be able to provide you with clear
answer to questions such as: How do both reflection and emotion work jointly in
the consumer’s mind? How can I make the messaging more persuasive without being
pushy? How can I expect my customers in Latin America to react to my European
campaign? Is it really worthwhile to make culture specific ads?
There are many grasping and interesting figures that
will help you discover the great potential of philosophers. A few of my
favorites on human experience are Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari,the later
works of Ludwig Wittgenstein, Henri Bergson and Maurice Merleau Ponty. When it
comes to understanding networks, few are as illustrative and acute as Bruno
Latour is.
Written by Daniel Vargas Gómez
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