The Original Mad Man

Kenneth Roman, former chairman and CEO of the international advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather, has just come out with a book on the legendary David Ogilvy.

As a big fan of advertising (don't know why. Maybe it's the razzmatazz that goes with ads), I have "known" David Ogilvy for many years through books and articles.

The advertising industry is fascinating as it is controversial.

It is fascinating for the way in which it influences our decisions on what to consume. It subliminally taps into our need to stand out in a crowd; our so-called "snob appeal".

It is controversial in its ability to get into our minds and accentuate our prejudices; our innate need to conspicuously consume.

In this time of economic challenges the ad industry is hard-pressed to influence the decisions at the mass retail level.

Ad expenditures make goods and services more costly. But, reduce ad expenditures and your brand runs the risk of becoming invisible.

But, think about it, if your goods and services have a high quality, shouldn't you retain customer loyalty even absent advertising?

And, if the ad industry encourages jazzed-up packaging, aren't they contributing to environmental degradation since packaging is the stuff we throw away after exercising the impulse to buy?

So many questions to ponder over.