"Naomi Klein: Marketer of the Decade"

The latest issue of Canadian Business Magazine to hit the stores contains a very interesting article, in which author Andrew Porter declares Naomi Klein (No Logo), Marketer of the Decade.

Mr. Porter asserts that it is Ms. Klein's insightful analysis of branding and the youth culture which made No Logo "the most influential marketing manual of its time." The branding landscape was forever changed when the first edition of this exposé on "brand bullies" and our consumerist culture first hit the bookstore shelves 10 years ago.

I concur with Mr. Porter's assessment of this remarkable work and extend my heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Klein for having the courage to write it. Ms. Klein, I am certain, never expected this type of response to her work, and likely does not appreciate how corporate interests have taken her input and incorporated it into their marketing initiatives.

Personally, I am glad to see that her lessons did not go unheeded. There is much that can be learned, if one is prepared to listen to their critics. Ms. Klein criticized companies whose brand messages were inconsistent with their actions, and held them accountable for the discrepancies. Today, companies are being much more careful about removing any difference between their rhetoric and reality. She also railed against companies for "dominating our mental environment and...colonizing our sense of self" - referring to the extent to which one's social status is defined by the brands one consumes. This is still the case, but to a lesser degree as more importance is being attached to the meaning behind the brand, than to the brand itself.

Perhaps the most significant contribution Ms. Klein has made to the field of marketing is her lengthy discussion of popular culture, and their "anti-brand activities." As Mr. Porter so eloquently explains, companies today have begun to successfully incorporate the very same guerrilla marketing tactics, culture jamming and Reclaim the Streets initiatives that anti-brand activists once used.

If you haven't already picked up a copy, Mr. Porter's article is worth the read...as is Ms. Klein' s book. I thank Ms. Klein, Marketer of the Decade, for writing No Logo and sharing your insights with the world. I also applaud the open-mindedness of those companies who have read No Logo and taken the lessons contained therein to heart. It is not an easy thing to do, but, as I am sure you can attest, well worth the effort.