Warning: It’s soap box time… This rant started yesterday morning, I put some washing in the machine, and that’s when the fabric softener caught my eye. I’ve attached the picture. What can you see is wrong? The design? nope – it does what it’s meant to – it portrays fresh, natural… all the things you would want to associate with the product.

No, the thing that got me is the words “essential oils”. “Essential Oils”? When on earth did I miss the point in our evolution that made us reliant on essential oils?! Where did the cave men stop chasing down the odd Sabre Tooth Tiger to cover themselves in essential oils? (Ignoring the whale blubber of ancient fishermen and Eskimos – I don’t think Surf were referring to that when they put it on their bottle).

Oils aren’t essential, in fact very few things are essential in this life. And come to mention it, those ‘modern’ offices that I see being offered by Commercial Agents really aren’t that ‘modern’ at all…

You see, my gripe isn’t about Fabric Conditioner per sé, it’s the absolute diatribe that we all use in order to try and sell things. Words that try to portray something that is not. I feel insulted when I see things that are ‘essential’, ‘modern’, ‘ground-breaking’ or ‘not-to-be-missed’… unless of course they really are.

Having been in the advertising and marketing business for far too many years for my age (ahem), I know that many a time I’ve tried to use a few words that really don’t stack up against the evidence. I’m sure I’ve fallen into that trap when the lack of a true USP or marketing angle has failed. However, I think it’s the sign of the times when a 1980’s office block with mirror windows is described as ‘modern’, and oils in a fabric conditioner can be described as ‘essential’.

Of course, if you look it up,  the definition of ‘essential oils’ is: “An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the “oil of” the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove.”

But when did that happen exactly? Who decided they were to be called ‘essential?’. When it suited the market that needed to promote them. They aren’t essential to anything. If you didn’t have them, you wouldn’t die. Essential water? Yes, essential oils? Total nincompoop.

So often I’m proud to see the work that marketeers put together, promote and produce. Imiganitive, thought-provoking and challenging. However, there are other times when I believe we deserve the reputation of  ’hoodwinking’ society. Capturing them with misleading words and products. And that’s when I’m disappointed. Like a customer who bought a DFS sofa when it wasn’t in a sale…

So my call to arms – for me and anyone else who wants to join in, is to challenge our approach in marketing. Stop relying on phoney words and suggestions. Start coming up with incredible products and communications. Stop coming up with misleading statements and start thinking about what’s best for the consumer. Fill the need.

I’m expecting to make mistakes, a trap of twenty years is a hard one to get out of… and sometimes mabe there will be a fine line (after all you want to grab attention) but none the less it’s got to be worth trying so that I can, once more, be proud to say I work in marketing.

Tailored to their own networks, HR Business Network and Finance Business Network

Two years ago we designed and built the HR Business Network – a successful site for top-level HR professionals to network and connect with their peers. The site offers detailed profiles, advice sections, discussions, events and of course, messaging. With over 2000 approved members, all senior figures within the HR industry, the site has been a huge success encouraging industry networking.

The project was deemed so good that Project Leaders asked us to replicate the project for the Finance Sector, and we’ve just rolled out the Finance Business Network.

Current social networks don’t fit all business models, so if social networking isn’t working for you, talk to us about creating a social tool that can get you connected to the right people. It’s often better to be the facilitator and align your business with the heart of the discussion than to join an ocean of ‘me-too’ companies.