Strong headlines (still) sell

I came across two articles recently - one, in the Harvard Busines Review blog network, and the other, on Forbes online. They caught my eye because of their use of dare-you-to-not-look headlines.

The first, posted on 9 August was titled, Marketing Is Dead.

The Second, posted on 11 November is titled, The End of the Expert: Why No One in Marketing Knows What They're Doing

Both articles are quite explicit in their message. The traditional way of Advertising & Marketing is over. This is the age of Digital Marketing and all things that start with "mobile" and end with "app".

From The End of the Expert: "It’s less about advertising and more about creating an experience that transforms what it means to be a customer of a brand." And Marketing is Dead avers: "Several studies have confirmed that in the "buyer's decision journey," traditional marketing communications just aren't relevant."

Their nonsensical gobbledygook might have unnerved a few old-timers and convinced some readers that resisting the iGods is futile... But I find it amusing that to make their points-of-view heard, both authors sneakily picked a tool from the bottom drawer of a Junior Copywriter's desk - a flagrantly provocative headline!

Obviously, it still works. I read their senseless s**t.