LIP: Live in peace, Maximilian Rothermel, respect, dude!

For once, somebody has had the guts to speak out what so many of the people I know in the ad and marketing biz only dare think and tolerate on a daily basis.

I must say, I was deeply touched and impressed when a colleague forwarded an article that was published on XING.com a couple of weeks back and for those of you who speak German, please take a look at Maximilian Rothermel’s open farewell to the biz letter. http://bit.ly/d6TeXf

In his letter, Maximilian describes a business encounter of the most frustrating kind that forced him to reflect and reconsider his personal attitude towards his profession.

He states that he had been working in the industry for 20 years and always believed that one of his services as a creative was firstly and foremost about quality IDEAS, unique and creative concepts and campaigns. Isn’t it so?

He goes on to describe a meeting with a brand manager at BOSE, an established premium Hi-fi manufacturer based in Germany, who – despite the job title and the competence you would expect to come with it – knew close to nothing about the brand, its products, the current marketing goals of the company and the reason for inviting Maximilian to a creative brief meeting. According to Maximilian, his counterpart had sufficient qualities to take on an active role in a fashion show, but otherwise was an insult to his common sense.

It must have hit Maximilian like a sucker punch straight in the nads, that this fairly typical situation in the daily marketing business bore a deeper insight, this being:

1. The advertising and marketing business is not about good ideas.

2. The advertising and marketing business is not about creativity.

3. The advertising and marketing business is not about quality.

4. Advertising and marketing budgets are given to

a) buddies, friends and relatives and/or

b) the lowest bid and/or

c) to those offering the highest kick back and/or the most attractive other “presents” (I’ll leave this bit to your imagination but will say, yes, you’re assumptions are right!).

And I agree with the poor sod. Especially in the last 18 months, where the industry has been hit by the so-called global economic crisis, agents and agencies have been tripping through hell and most often, intense strategic connection management and getting involved in client staff policies gets you closer to an account than a good claim or campaign idea.

Anyway, what I found most remarkable was Maximilian’s decisiveness. Within days of his depressing assessment he closed his agency and publicly declared his retirement.

Despite the truth in his ‘famous last words’, I remain convinced, that while advertising most often sucks and is a pollution both of our environment as well as our media channels, that advertising and marketing will prevail, BUT, that the money spent can be used more wisely, for the better both of the advertisers and the recipients. However, as long as the business works as analyzed by Maximilian Rothermel, you might as well as the agency janitor to come up with the ideas while the CEO and account manager go smooching with the client.

Yet, I will not give up on the idea and the concept of: QUALITY. Quality is the solution to all the relationship problems corporations face with their consumers, quality is the key to sustainable dialogue, success and relevance. Couple quality with success and creativity and you have the formula for a place in the history books PLUS rising profits.

Somehow, I envy Maximilian for his newly gained perspective and freedom and wish him the best of luck whatever he decides to do with his life…

Respect, dude.

Yours

Brian B. Ashes