Good communications? The most crucial link is the one you can't see

Jeremy Bullmore

This article argues that the most crucial communication link between marketing and consumers is when the latter are allowed to become active participants in the marketing.

Remember Ernst Gombrich's beholder's share, writes Jeremy Bullmore, and turn your audience into accomplices.

The executive creative director, in his signature black roll-neck sweater, has just presented his proposed campaign to the senior client; and the client is silent. Eventually, she says: "Thank you, Alonso. As I'm sure you'll remember, when we signed off on the creative brief we agreed that our core proposition should be that we are the caring company. Yet – and correct me if I'm wrong – I don't believe the word 'care' occurs anywhere in the work you've just shown us."

Alonso rolls his eyes....

WARC subscribers can sign in to keep reading

Not a subscriber?

Schedule your live demo with our team today

WARC helps you to plan, create and deliver more effective marketing

  • Prove your case and back-up your idea

  • Get expert guidance on strategic challenges

  • Tackle current and emerging marketing themes

We’re long-term subscribers to WARC and it’s a tool we use extensively. We use it to source case studies and best practice for the purposes of internal training, as well as for putting persuasive cases to clients. In compiling a recent case for long-term, sustained investment in brand, we were able to support key marketing principles with numerous case studies sourced from WARC. It helped bring what could have been a relatively dry deck to life with recognisable brand successes from across a broad number of categories. It’s incredibly efficient to have such a wealth of insight in one place.

Insights Team
Bray Leino

You’re in good company

We work with 80% of Forbes' most valuable brands* and 80% of the world's top top-of-the-class agencies.

* Top 10 brands