Margaret Mead and Marketing

When I was at college I had the great honor to attend a private reception for Margaret Mead.  In fact I got to spend some one on one time with her.    As she had great insight into human society, she said many notable things outside of  "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Since marketing is all about communicating with people, maybe listening to an anthropologist is not such a crazy idea.  So here goes:

If one cannot state a matter clearly enough so that even an intelligent twelve-year-old can understand it, one should remain within the cloistered walls of the university and laboratory until one gets a better grasp of one's subject matter.

What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.

Even though the ship may go down, the journey goes on.

You just have to learn not to care about the dust mites under the beds.

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.

Comments

[Mary Schmidt]

Of course I'm prejudiced, seeing as how I probably have more undergrad liberal arts courses than anyone in the state - but I strongly believe that business people ought to major in pretty much anything but business (sociology, literature, psychology, anthropology - fuzzy wuzzy liberal arts stuff) BEFORE they ever do anything with a business degree or start a business. And, recent wisdom and trends seem to bear me out (Dan Pink, IBM hiring graduates from the Rhode Island school of design)

A spreadsheet does not make a marketer make.