Organizing and Marketing

Over at Turn On Your Marketing Light I have been participating in a discussion regarding the similarities between marketing and organizing. I have a few thoughts regarding the two which I think are more well served in this space.

In a certain way, both organizers and marketeers have a similar job. Both in organizing and in marketing, one must be acutely aware of the way in which information flows, be it in a community or in a demographic. The organizer needs to keep in mind that many times those who most need his skills are those who have been failed by, or who put little stock in, traditional means of information flow - the marketing executive notes this as well, and engages in 'guerrilla marketing.'

Both need to have an awareness of how individual culture effects the impact of one's message. Geographically and culturally, people's willingness and ability to hear and disseminate information will differ. The speech given to retired union workers may not have quite the same effect when delivered to high school graduates. Only an awareness of one's audience will reveal the ideal ways and means to communicate to them: and that, really, is where both organizing and marketing plant their foundations, in communication.