I just wanted to sort of let you know that perhaps we as modern marketers, marketing agents and pundits, kind of equivocate more than previous generations. Why is that? I can only speak for the advertising and marketing community, but I think it has to do with the lack of science in our business. So subjective is what we do, that people are afraid to commit to a position or point of view.
Yesterday, while attended a conference on trends and ideas hosted by PSFK (www.psfk.com) in NYC, I had the pleasure of listening to many speakers and panelists. It was then that I realized “sort of” is the new “um.”
In my first visit to a Freudian therapist a long time ago and I remember remarking “I kind of had feelings of anxiety.” These feelings were accompanied, by the way, by dizziness, near fainting and heart palpitations, but I “kind of” felt anxious. Sigmund said to me “KIND OF?” Let’s start there.”
So, for today’s marketers, planners and business people, let’s lose the “sort of” and be more definite. At least until proven wrong. It’s okay to commit to a point of view. It’s okay to be wrong and learn from it. And I don’t mean sort of.
