I dream of a day when societies around the planet all have expanding and prospering middle classes, and that a certain quality of life is available to everyone. Inside of those vibrant economies will be the energy, innovation and force of marketing. In this dream, the esteem with which the profession of marketing is viewed towers above other professions. The field of marketing will compete for the world’s best and brightest who share my vision that both the research and practice of marketing can be as ennobling as medicine or any other science because, lest we forget, marketing is indeed a science.
While worldwide prosperity remains far from being realized, the global marketplace is experiencing awe-inspiring growth and evolution. We are on the eve of the third industrial revolution, this one powered by the so-called “Internet of Things,” which is chiefly defined by the staggering amount of machine-to-machine, machine-to-human and human-to-human connectivity that currently only accounts for less than 1% of all that has been identified as possible. Trillions of GDP will be created through new forms of commerce, products and services. The tsunami of individual technological advancements coming our way is incomprehensible, but one thing is certain: Marketing will play a prominent—even a preeminent—role in the marketplace’s evolution. And as the new chief executive of the American Marketing Association, it’s my job to ensure that the AMA is ready and equipped to offer you the knowledge that you need to compete, and to win.
Yes, marketing is a science, and some scientific laws apply. Yes, best practices can be helpful knowledge in managing a business and in managing many aspects of marketing. But in my opinion, inspired marketing requires pushing past so-called best practices into original and next practices.
My dream depends on a “New AMA” whose calling is to inspire original and next practices in marketing science for practitioners, academics and students. In my opinion, and if marketing continues to be key force in driving GDP growth and expanding prosperity, lots of people’s lives depend on it, not just marketers’.
Positively,
Russ Klein, CEO