Advertising is the baseline work of marketing.
In sports, the baseline is used to define boundaries that let us know if we are in play or out of bounds. If we are inside the baseline, then we are in the game and need to execute plays to score. If we are outside the baseline, it simply means we are either on the bench or waiting our turn to check into the game. The plays and moves we execute to score can sway the momentum of the crowd in our favor and carry us to victory.
When I say that advertising is the baseline work of marketing, I mean that advertising is the bare minimum of work marketers should be doing. In order for brands to be successful, you have to be able to break through the clutter by creating moments of spiked conversations. These spiked conversations don’t just happen, although sometimes they can, but good marketers plan for them to happen. These spiked conversations are the execution of those plays and moves I mentioned earlier that we need to score and swing the momentum our way. They come in the form of content marketing, guerrilla marketing, public relations, sales missions and other marketing executions.
Baseline = Advertising
Running a play to score = Marketing/PR Executions
Points scored = National Media Placements/Marketing Virality
Marketing is a long game.