Jim Stengel is one sharp man who is really on point. The guy gets it ! He seems to have a deep understanding of the future of advertising and marketing on the web.

Having been through several high profile high paying job interviews down in New York City over the last few months I can safely say the the advertising industry (folks like the humongous holding company WPP) is adrift. There are many reasons for this, some of them I have touched on here, put the bottom line on this is that the Ad Agencies simply do not have the spine to tell their clients that the traditional world of advertising and marketing is being turned on it’s head.

I can’t image being a creative director or an account executive having the back bone to read their client the riot act, telling them that it is time to listen to the needs and desires of the customers an adapting their entire attitude to adapt. I would imagine that that is a very quick way to loose a high paying client. But this fact in nothing new, it has being evolving for a while, I personally have winced at seeing and industry (Advertising) that use to have creative, funny and compelling products become reduced to selling with baton twirling majorettes, elephants and streaming confetti.

I call this: Fear Based Creatives = No Creativity.

I have begun to note some changes in the air. Computer World recently reported on Dell finally listening to it’s customer base (rejecting bundled Vista) with their new Ideas in Action Blog as well as creating an entierly new attitude towards offering Ubuntu Linux.

Detroit’s Big Three might be starting to figure it out now that their bottom line is dropping through the floor, Toyota now being number 1. Maybe it is time to listen to what the customer wants. Do you think ?