The essence of marketing is to be a “charmer”

Popular celebrities appear in commercials, and songs by trendy artists are adopted.
The sight of countless companies and organizations calling out “Look here!” or “Buy this!” in every way possible has hardly changed from the past to the present.

In fact, the English word “advertising” or “advertisement” comes from the Latin word “advertere.” “Ad” means “towards,” and “vertere” means “to turn,” which together mean “to turn one’s attention to.” From there, the English word “advertise” came to be used to mean “to attract attention, to promote.”

Although on a small scale, after nine years of struggling as the head of a foreign-affiliated advertising agency, I have come to feel that “advertising work and HR work are somewhat similar.”

Wanting something you didn’t want before, suddenly becoming interested in something you didn’t think twice about… although its influence may have diminished, couldn’t the main role of advertising be rephrased as “motivation”?

Employee happiness and customer happiness

Turning to the work of a company’s HR department, it covers a wide range of areas such as recruitment, evaluation, development, labor management, system design, and welfare. However, due to the ongoing labor shortage, high turnover rates, and the activation of the job change market, HR personnel are entering an era where they must shift their mindset from “management” to “service.”

In other words, a sense of “employee happiness.” As those with keen intuition may have noticed, this trend is very similar to the shift in the advertising and marketing industry, where the focus has moved from the company (the advertiser) to the “customer.”

(Marketing is) a concept and process for realizing a richer and more sustainable society by creating value together with customers and society, and by fostering relationships with stakeholders through the widespread dissemination of that value.
Note 1) The subject can be not only companies but also individuals, non-profit organizations, etc.
Note 2) The fostering of relationships also includes the process of creating new value.
Note 3) The concept envisions an initiative and includes strategies, mechanisms, and activities.

From the press release of the Japan Marketing Association

This is the “definition of marketing” published by the Japan Marketing Association in 2024. The old definition formulated in the 1990s used the word “competition,” but it has changed from a company-centered perspective to one that is conscious of corporate-citizen coexistence and mutual prosperity.

I feel that corporate HR is adapting to these trends faster than the advertising and marketing industry, which should be sensitive to the flow of the times. I believe this is because labor shortages and talent outflow have become life-or-death issues, but reports and research materials clearly show that many companies are struggling and unable to take concrete measures.

Ideas for strengthening engagement

Even though the structure of the world and the consciousness of job seekers have changed so much, it is difficult to change the situation just by relying on conventional training and platforms. This is very similar to the situation in the advertising and marketing industry, where mass marketing is becoming increasingly difficult and individual optimization and data analytics are advancing.

Unique corporate culture and customs are important, but if they do not fit the times and generations, talent will flow out. It is clear that the way of suppressing people by saying “That’s how we do things here” no longer works, but there are many people who think, “Even if you say we should change, I don’t know what to change or how to change it.”

It is not just about the company changing; another approach is to strive to have employees “understand.” As I repeat, “advertising” requires ingenuity in both mathematical and emotional aspects to “attract attention and promote.”

If you feel stuck or lack ideas for strengthening engagement, please feel free to consult with me as if we were just chatting. I think I can be a great conversation partner to help you find clues or a breakthrough for a solution.