Browse > Home / Advertising Agency News / Mahatma Gandhi : Ad Agencies have come a long way

Mahatma Gandhi : Ad Agencies have come a long way

January 22, 2010

We’re going to start off this article with a well known quote:

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Then we’re going to follow the timeline:

“First they ignore you”

There are no mentions of “Search Engine Optimization” in Advertising Age Magazine in the whole 20th century.. all through the .com boom to .com crash of the 1990′s… not one single mention of SEO even though the industry was growing at an extremely rapid pace.

“then they ridicule you,”

“Every good techie knows that SEO personnel are just blowhards who couldn’t hack it in any real vocation. Calling their product snake oil really isn’t fair to snake oil manufacturers, as I believe snake oil is effective at oiling snakes.” Comment on Adrants July 20, 2006

then they fight you

I haven’t seen much evidence that digital agencies are ready to lead brands where they need to go, anymore than I’ve seen traditional agencies capable of leading their brands for at least the last 10 years. Sure, the digital shops get the technology, but the smarter ones will tell you that it’s not about the technology. Comment on Adage November 12, 2009

Then you win

WPP group bids for Icrossing - 1/01/2010

Yooter InterActive welcomes AOL as a client - January 2010

This list goes on forever.. especially in the last 3 months there has been an extreme uptick in SEO and Social Marketing Inquiries and new business. This is a dramatic change from above.

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” — Mahatma Gandhi

You were right Gandhi … you were so right.

Related Posts:

Written by TheFounder · Filed Under Advertising Agency News 


Comments

  • http://www.biersmacreative.com/blog/?p=216 So much for snake oil. « Biersma Creative's Blog

    [...] post at Tribble links Mahatma Ghandi with advertising (talk about the profound and the profane!), but it's a wry and [...]

  • http://www.tribbleagency.com/?p=6691 Search use increased 46 percent 2008 to 2009

    [...] wonder Advertising Agencies are FINALLY taking notice, search has shot up nearly 50% in one year. From 2008 to 2009, search engine use has increased [...]

  • http://www.biersmacreative.com/digital-marketing/so-much-for-snake-oil So much for snake oil.

    [...] post at Tribble links Mahatma Ghandi with advertising (talk about the profound and the profane!), but it’s a [...]