Will the real Pinocchio please stand up!
We are reps (except for a couple of editors and a few media buyers that stumbled into my terrarium). That inherently makes us untrustworthy. Not that we lie or even embellish, but we are unlikely to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth". Some would argue that that is the job of the competition's reps. Others say "buyer beware". I say: tell the most positive version of the truth you can. And I do. And I like to think the media planners I meet believe me. Of course negotiations require some degree of poker-face but that's true for players on both sides of the table.But what about those people sitting across the pot of money. Are they to be trusted? Not always apparently. For instance, why is it that some media planners tell you something that is simply untrue as if you will never find out? How many times have I heard that there will be no magazines on the plan only to see ads in print a few months later?! Or that we are only using magazines belonging to one publishing company because they fought for and won 100% share only to see ads elsewhere a few months later?! Or that they are planning a campaign and need some really creative ideas only to learn that they were really pitching an account and naturally they did not win it. Or even worse, they did win it but the print campaign will be quite different than initially conceived. Like it won't have my magazine there after all. Well all of these have happened to me this spring. Have they happened to you too? And if these obvious fabrications are popping up, can you imagine how many other loads of bullsh_t are shipped our way? How often do they cast blame on to their mythical "client" when it's just not true?
Hey, I can live with the feeling of being an unworthy, obsequious reptile but please don't lie to me. I'm not a baby. I won't come crying because my magazine is not on the plan. Just tell me and provide a brief explanation that I can share with my boss. An honest one. One that won't reveal itself as pure fiction in the very near future.
Now that I got that bit of ugliness off my chest, back in my cage.
posted by Reptile at 6:22 PM
1 Comments:
I have to say little reptile you're quite a fun read! Of course I'm sure our paths have crossed many a time - Godzilla vs King Chidora...The world is such a fluid place and with fluidity little grasshopper comes the unexpected - with 6000 reptiles and 4600 sub-scalies it's no wonder you're version of the truth can be slightly awry.
Our days like yours are filled with change and chance... where budgets may seem finite - they really never are. We're all faced with the insufferable client who like small children are entranced by baubles that shine but aren't gold...that's my weekly scoop anyway. Matthew 7,6 little reptile consoles me in those moments when I'm strong armed Whats Up! with that you'd think I was religious...
Did you know there's a new disease infecting Reptilia? I kid you not little reptile apparently it's been sweeping across the industry -a silent plague that has us all perplexed named after a prehistoric Common Germanic word *horaz . It infects every and all species of Reptile - it's symptoms are not life threatening in fact they come and go at the oddest times. Be advised little reptile that should you be infected when you least expect it you're drawers may drop and your rates may have you on a plan unexpectedly to the detriment of your fellow reptiles. It may seem innocent at first but really the whole ecosystem suffers - by rogers! I've seen it happen and it's ugly... Simmon said it best "50 ways to leave your lover... or is it change a plan?" I can't seem to remember?
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