Who Markets the Marketeers?

It seems to me, trust in public life is almost as rare at the moment as young women under the age of 25 without an orange spray tan.

Through their own ineptitude and lack of conscience the banks have scarred themselves for life, mind you it doesn’t seem to have had the effect of making them more sympathetic to customers. I had to wait 25 minutes in a local city centre bank at peak lunchtime as there was only 1 cashier. Anyway, I digress. Pensions, banking, insurance, all institutions that many of us are wary of now, I don’t know about you but it makes me nervous not being able to trust these bastions of security.

Then to our Politicians, those beacons of hope for the beleaguered constituents. Those who fight the good fight for the good of the country. Well yes they do sometimes do so but it appears at the same time will happily work within the sloppy rules of a system that allows the Tax payer to cover the cost of their pet food for example. That actually angers me more than the moat cleaning which was of course beyond ridiculous. Another large institutional chunk removed from the Jenga that is modern life; waiting to see when it will all topple over.

Marketing is understood by many to play an inevitable role in how things operate both commercially and in any sphere of contemporary public life. In politics we call it ‘spin-doctoring’ but it is marketing none the less. The trouble is we are now learning not to trust the marketeers as well. A really informative documentary on BBC1 this week was an eye opener for many revealing as it did the troubling standards that are set for food labelling in this country. The report was illuminating, as many of us had assumed that there was sufficient legislated transparency in food labelling due to exposure of bad practice in the past. The manufacturers and retailers (mentioned on the program) weren’t breaking the law. The laws or guidelines are at fault so the clever marketing agencies are covered, technically. However, I find it is even more objectionable to be able to market a pie as a product with heritage and home made values,which was filled with pork fat, as was shown on the program, than it is to pay for a luxury pad for an MP’s ducks.

Legal eagles having to put a case for an individual guilty of actually breaking the law have no option but to present a strong case for at the very least leniency, no matter how much we may not like it. The Marketeers are not at fault as such nor have they broken the law but issues such as this do them no credit. It is morally wrong for products to be cynically marketed in this way, regardless of the law. If nobody believes what it says on the packet then the Marketing departments have failed in their mission, leaving the industry itself in dire need of its own services. The definition of marketing of course being

‘The means by which goods or services are sold’. That doesn’t mean misleading the public.

My first heart throb. Cynics need not apply!

So, Michael Jackson is dead. Only 2 years older than me, so, ouch that hurts, hugely talented, a real loss to the world of 'pop' but all the harder for me as he was my first heart throb. The first posters of a famous person on my bedroom wall, first time of watching ANYTHING that he appeared on and sighing dreamily.
I watched the memorial service this evening and shed far too many tears, my own recent loss being so keenly felt. Was it over the top? Undoubtedly. Too much evangelical stomping? Definitely for my taste. Musical performances that in many cases were lavished with well groomed pseudo emotion, so a cynic’s feast really. A musical genius and a gossip columnist’s meal ticket, an icon of our age and prime target for the celebrity bounty hunters, role model for two generations of young people and weirdo ‘Wacko’ leading a curious life in Never never land. Well maybe he was all these things.
The music has come back to life; it seems we all forgot, other than the diehard fans. Some never knew anything other than the bizarre stories so have seen the videos and heard the music for the first time. The reality is that we will probably never know the reality. A family closing ranks is completely normal and our saintly media will now respond to his sudden death with endless admiration for his genius. Shame they weren’t doing so when he hit the tough times; let’s face it, it wouldn’t be the first time a person’s wealth and fame has exposed them to false accusations- trial by media should not be a part of any culture, even the crazy world of the pop star.
The culture of celebrity may well be a fact in the modern world but truly we need to find some humanity in all the madness. There is I believe a parallel to be drawn in public life. Opposing Political parties will present entirely their own position, all claiming to have the true solutions, asking us to buy into their beliefs and manifesto. The opposing parties in the media with exposures of the frailties (real or otherwise) of our modern icons countered by support and stout denials from Family, peers and friends. I watch Question time to help form my opinions on politics and current affairs. With the diverse panellists covering areas including but not exclusively politics I am able to find the balance that makes some sense. How to do so in that mad, bad old world of showbiz?
No matter what was said, sung or shown the most revealing, poignant and real moment in tonight’s memorial? When a little girl stood and spoke about her Dad, the best father a person could have ever had, tears of real grief for a real person. Bet the media hounds never thought of that one did they?