Barneys

It might surprise you to discover this, but I've been involved in controversies throughout my academic career, such as it is. Sometimes these barneys were started by other people on my behalf, albeit these 'people' occasionally turn out to be the pen names of a certain Stephen Brown. (Disgraceful, I say! What's the marketing academy coming to?) Most times, however, I've somehow managed to antagonise the individual concerned.

The first of these kerfuffles involved Ron Savitt in my 'wheel of retailing' days and the main ones since then involve Shelby Hunt, Philip Kotler and Holbrook-cum-Levitt. Although I have been known to attack these people in print, don't assume that I bear any personal animosity towards them.

As far as I'm concerned, Hunt, Kotler, McDonald and so forth are personifications of a particular approach to marketing. It's the approach I oppose, not them as individuals. In many ways I admire them, to tell the truth, even though I disagree vehemently with their interpretations of marketing. At least they stand for something, unlike so many of the me-too types within the marketing academy.

You see, I'm a really nice guy. A pussy cat, that's what I am (but don't let on to Holbrook). Ask Stan Hollander...