Welcome to the Creative Age

The rules and principles that have governed business for half a century are dead; what matters now, more than anything else, is creativity and ideas. In a thought-provoking look at the death of 'old' marketing, Mark Earls explores this sea change and shows how the new philosophy can be used to solve traditional marketing problems. He also provides detailed guidance for building an organization for which employees will choose to work - one within which creativity and ideas can flourish.

'This is the book Naomi Klein should have written. Mark Earls affectionately dissects the madness of modern marketing but at the same time understands why it really matters.' Dominic Mills, Editorial Director, Campaign Magazine

'Mark tears up a lot of what we are secure and familiar with (fundamental notions such as "brand" and "consumer-orientation", for instance), and, while giving us some of the new building blocks, he asks as many questions about the way forward without these familiar handrails, as he offers answers.' From the Foreword by Adam Morgan, Director of EatBigFish and author of best-selling Eating the Big Fish

'If the only thing you do is throw out your mission statement and grasp hold of a "purpose-idea" you will have a great return on your investment in Mark Earls' book.' Kevin Thomson, author of best-selling Emotional Capital and President of MCA Communicate

'Anyone who has ever challenged the shibboleths and practices of late twentieth century Marketing - especially the holy grail of "consumer insight" self-servingly invented by the Market Research industry - should read Mark Earls' comprehensive and tightly argued critique. Not only does it give us a rationale for not doing it like that any more (3 cheers!) but it also offers a passionate book full of creative ways to do it differently and more productively (300 cheers!).' Virginia Valentine, author, and Founder of Semiotic Solutions

'There are many who will doubtless want to see Mark Earls burned at the nearest stake for suggesting that marketing is not the all-seeing, all-healing deity in which they believe. Enjoy your martyrdom, Mark. Truth is on your side.' Jon Steel, author of best-selling Truth, Lies & Advertising - The Art of Account Planning

• Introduction: Bananas at Dawn
• Creativity Is Our Inheritance
• The Glorious Revolution
• Tsunami
• Who and How We Are
• Ideas, Ideas, Ideas
• All that You Can't Leave Behind (but must)
• How to Have a Creative Age Idea
• Interventions - It is What You Do...
• Advertising is Not Communication
• The Shared Enterprise - putting purpose-ideas at the heart of business
• A Place You Want to Work in
• Us - Together
• Postscript
• Endnotes
• Index