Why Do I Do This

Why am I interested in marketing and, maybe more importantly, changing marketing after spending the last 30 years of my life in the agency world working with both clients and, in the last five years, closely with other agencies? I have found many interesting insights and discovered deeper meaning behind the joys and frustrations of my personal experience.

Perhaps I should start with my journey as an immigrant from a westernize mindset of living in Kolkata, which has a fairly sophisticated advertising scene, and a journey into the United States, and working at small agencies with small and large clients, working with medium and large agencies, my personal experience has evolved from overly compliant to being much more comfortable with saying no and walking away from toxic clients and agencies. Part of the reason I had been OK with toxic behavior. What is the misunderstanding that I had to tolerate such behavior in order to get a head and a lack of clarity for what my personal beliefs were and what I considered sacred ground, perhaps as I have been successful and also experienced all kinds of clients and behaviors and treatments, it has become abundantly clear to me that my team and I can no longer work in any capacity that does not have integrity at its core and a deep need for ethical treatment and the respect of people as well as societal norms with a desired outcome, but moves the needle on marketing metrics, and yet keeps in mind that at the end of the day, we are working on marketing to educate people and give them choices as they move through a consumer journey to discover what they like, why they like it, and whether or not, they want to buy it and continue buying it.

Some of my conclusions are that there is no compulsion to work with toxic people and toxic clients or toxic agencies. No matter the outcome, there is never a reason that justifies bad choices and inconsiderate behavior. I have become increasingly disillusioned with the mainstream media that covers marketing and advertising and the so-called journalists who do it. In addition, the process for selecting the agency of the year and the hottest agencies in the large competitions is clearly focused on relationships and not behavior associated with the companies producing the work. I believe this is no longer acceptable. I dream of a world where we can put people first through our business lives. Yes, I understand that sometimes relationships do not work out, but there’s never any excuse for a lack of integrity. This is why I am interested in changing the face of marketing as we know it.

Through my decades-long journey in the agency world, my commitment to transforming marketing ethics has gone from disbelief to frustration with the system and the resolute practice of doing things differently. It is now driven by a resolute belief that integrity and people-centric values must underpin every aspect of our industry. I envision a world where marketing isn't solely about profits and metrics but is fundamentally centered on ethical conduct and the well-being of individuals and society. This commitment isn't a mere aspiration; it's the guiding force propelling my mission to redefine the face of marketing. Placing people and integrity at the forefront is not just a goal but a fundamental principle that must shape every campaign, every client relationship, and every industry interaction, fostering a culture that champions respect, ethical behavior, and the holistic well-being of all involved, from consumers to team members.