Consumers Raise Their Mobile Hands, Part 1

I've seen various companies recently making inroads into cell phone advertising. Then I saw something with my own eyes on my Verizon cell phone. All I could do was shake my head and chuckle at the ridiculous mini banner ad staring back at me above my weather forecast.

Does Verizon Care About Us?

I love the way we approach each new marketing medium, through the filter of all the other marketing programs we've done. We approached television as we did radio, and the internet as we did television.

It makes sense. It's what we know, and we're busy people. Better to do what we know, even if we're in a totally different environment, right? It makes us feel just a little cozier, more comfortable, and less naked in raw surroundings. It's difficult enough to do what we know in the environment to which we're accustomed, nowadays.

But it doesn't make it right.

People hate advertising. They loathe it, and glow with disdain for our profession. The call us shysters and swindlers, and portray us as liars and cold-hearted thieves. Then they pull out the classifieds, sift through Sunday inserts looking for the best priced pizza, and tend to be more glued to the Super Bowl during the commercial breaks.

continue reading Paul's totally super Madison Avenue Journal article.