Self-expression vs Professional marketing communications: There's room for both

I like it when I find a commentary that takes on something that I've been thinking about. Such a piece is Dorian Sweet's column, "Amateurism: The New Gold Standard" on ClickZ.com.

With the much-hyped (including by me) rampant exposure of new media platforms like YouTube and MySpace, professional marketers may be somewhat baffled. Sweet calls the content produced by these folks (normally labeled user-generated content) "digital amateurism" and he's right. It's not advertising or marketing. "It's self-expression." Two completely different things.

But, I was surprised that he didn't mention the LonelyGirl15 professional attempt to capitalize on the social video networks. Just the same, I have my own bottom line. Not only are professional marketing communications still completely viable, especially when they include an authentic sensativity to the medium as well as the intended audience; but (all back-handed references to Marshall McLuhan aside), the message is still the message. When you have something to say and when you say it well, you can still cut through the clutter. And if you really do your job well, you can even ride new waves of viral success.