That's not really fair of me. Piers does have a good point - advertising isn't really 'where the game is at' anymore. The one-way communication enabled by advertising isn't what many consumers want today. Rather than being talked at, consumers expect to be talked with.

This is why branding has become a key part of consumer interaction, and why I advise my clients that before they market or advertise anything they gotta have a brand in place. This might be the obvious thing to say for a branding expert (after all, we're branding experts, it ain't like we're going to say you need new shoes) but for today's marketplace it is what works.

This isn't to say that the game won't change a few years down the road, and all of us branding experts and commentators will find ourselves wondering why two-way communication based on a company's core values and personality isn't working. People and markets change - and so must the companies that attempt to sell to them.

So - let's not take it out too much on the advertisers. Yes, advertisements and communications are tools that can be used to help us sell, but they're important tools. They're ways to validate the brand identity and solidify our relationship with our market. After all - where would we be if we created a great brand and didn't have a way to communicate that brand with our clients?

Branding without marketing and advertising is like being the a great singer who can't get the masking tape off of his mouth. Yeah, you know there's potential, but he'll never get the gold record.

I want my clients to go platinum, so you can be damn sure I'll not only bring my branding skills to the studio, I'll bring all the Goo-Gone(tm) they need. No point in building a great brand if it'll never be seen or heard by the market, right?

Tate Linden Principal Consultant Stokefire Consulting Group 703-778-9925