When I worked at a newspaper, I didn’t know anyone in the sales department. I was in a closed editorial system that viewed itself as the centre of the universe. As my career progressed, my orbit expanded in increments. I came to see there were other systems that also viewed themselves as central.

Of these parallel worlds, the one I distrusted most was marketing. It all seemed like smoke, mirrors and wankers. I was contemptuous, without actually knowing what I was contemptuous of. You may think I am exaggerating the extent of my ignorance. I am not.

One day, my boss got sick of my attitude.

“You know it’s marketing that pays your salary, right?”

This was my earth-around-sun revelation. At first I refused to believe him. How could marketers be paying me? I was paid by the company, not by marketers.

But the thought worked away at me, and I came to accept the truth: in an advertising-driven business, marketers are the source of life. Without marketers, I wouldn’t have a career. No career, no house, and no way forward.

A........

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