VIEWPOINT: Time for a little breathing space, and to give the consumer a break

<p>One theme which repeatedly gets brought up whenever you speak to </p><p>anyone working in the advertising industry is "clutter". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Everyone spends all their time devising creative advertising or media </p><p>campaigns designed to "cut through the clutter" and "stand out from the </p><p>crowd", which is a laudable aim, of course. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But what no one really considers - or, if they do, they sure don't like </p><p>to talk about it - is that every campaign, however cut-through it is, </p><p>adds to that clutter. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Put that together with the explosion in media options (never mind </p><p>fragmentation) and what you have is a massive amount of advertising on </p><p>the streets, in your homes, on your PCs, in your magazines, everytime </p><p>you open a newspaper or walk down the street, and so on and so </p><p>forth. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This is great for the fortunes of the industry, of course, and </p><p>hopefully, for clients as well. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But what of the consumer? </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Bombarded daily by more and more advertising, the average consumer is </p><p>getting increasingly cynical, with the risk of this cynicism developing </p><p>into outright resentment. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Advertising plays an important role in our lives: it makes possible what </p><p>would otherwise be impossible, it informs, it entertains, it </p><p>educates. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But it can also annoy, irritate and anger. At the end of the day, </p><p>advertising is an intrusion, and this is something which seems to have </p><p>been forgotten in the mad rush to exploit target markets and potential </p><p>profit. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>There are times when less is more, and there are definitely a lot of </p><p>marketers (and their agencies) out there who would be served well by </p><p>remembering this truism. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Sometimes, we all need breathing space. Sometimes, the shouting needs to </p><p>stop. Sometimes, a carefully-timed whisper speaks volumes where a loud </p><p>tirade would have no impact. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>So when we start talking about "permission marketing", perhaps it is </p><p>time to apply this to advertising in all its forms, and give the </p><p>consumer a break. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>