The IC3 Blue Train - A little journal about design, marketing, sales and other matters

Like music, marketing is both an art and a science – another slant

In the previous entry, I introduced Webster’s definition of marketing, that includes neither ‘art’, nor ‘science’; and I introduced my own definition that clearly leans towards art. I often compare marketing with music because I think there are many similarities between the two.

My next-door neighbour and good friend is a professional musician, composer and organ player. His personal studio includes amazing pieces of hardware and software technology. He spends significant time mastering and managing these tools, training himself to turn them into instruments, and rehearsing for concerts, recordings and other performances. In other words, his creativity periods are relatively scarce but, when he composes, with all this technology, he can synthesise a whole orchestra and produce the draft of a song in no time. The modern illustration of a one-man band.

At that point, you will argue he is mostly a technician with a strong basic knowledge of music. Wrong! He is mainly a passionate artist and creator. As an example, for final recordings, he insists on having a ‘real’ guitarist, trombonist and, of course, singer. There are still many nuances that technology cannot simulate properly. I often can’t hear the difference but, for him, not getting the perfect final touch would be a sin.

So, music is some sort of scientific discipline requiring deep basic knowledge and constant training. But, above that, it’s definitely an art. This is how Webster summarises it: “music: the art and science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds or tones in varying melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre, esp. so as to form structurally complete and emotionally expressive compositions.”

Now, how about paraphrasing the above?: “marketing: the art and science of combining verbal (words), visual (images), aural (sounds), other sensorial, and affective elements, concepts or ideas  in varying atom- or bit-based documents and programmes, esp. so as to form attractive, persuasive and memorable compositions or events.”

I think it sounds pretty good. Think of TV ads and glossy brochures. This definition of marketing does make sense, doesn’t it? More on music metaphors for marketing in upcoming entries.