Marketing Re-Imagined: Jordan Buning of ‘ddm marketing + communications’ On How We Can Re-Imagine The Marketing Industry To Make It More Authentic, Sustainable, And Promote More Satisfaction
An Interview With Drew Gerber
People over products: Don’t forget you’re talking to humans. Speak to them, not at them.
From an objective standpoint, we are living in an unprecedented era of abundance. Yet so many of us are feeling unsatisfied. Why are we seemingly so insatiable? Do you feel that marketing has led to people feeling unsatisfied and not having enough in life? If so, what actions can marketers take to create a world where people feel that they have enough, and they are enough? Can we re-imagine what marketing looks like and how it makes people feel?
In this interview series, we are talking to experts in marketing and branding to discuss how we might re-imagine marketing to make it more authentic, sustainable, and promote more satisfaction. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jordan Buning.
Jordan Buning is the president of ddm marketing + communications, a leading marketing agency for highly complex and highly regulated industries. Throughout Jordan’s 25 years in marketing, he has served clients among a diverse range of industries, including healthcare organizations such as Metro Health — University of Michigan Health, Spectrum Health and Hurley Medical Center, as well as public transportation, higher education, recreational products, and manufacturing.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to know how you got from “there to here.” What lessons would you share with yourself if you had the opportunity to meet your younger self?
You’re on a journey in life and your career. It’s never too early to imagine where you want to be in career — and life. You’re choosing a college/degree to get a piece of paper. You’re there for experiences that contribute to shaping you and helping you realize progress on your journey. Same with jobs. Each role is an investment that contributes towards getting you closer to your destination. If you’re not willing to figure out what your destination is, you’re going to constantly feel disappointment — and lost.
I’d also remind myself there will be cycles of mercurial growth and opportunities as well as times of desert and subsistence. All part of the journey. Know where you’re going, but don’t stress about getting there in record time.
None of us are able to experience success without support along the way. Is there a particular person for whom you are grateful for that support to grow you from “there to here?” Can you share that story and why you are grateful for him or her?
I’m having PTSD. This question got me in trouble once. I told a reporter it wasn’t just one thing — my college, my family, my friends, a mentor. It was all those things. However, the pull quote in the Sunday story said, “It wasn’t college that got me where I am today.” Did I mention that I was being interviewed because that college referred to the reporter to me? Ugh.
So let me try again. My parents raised their kids to be ready to live independently. While it was never outwardly stated, we were nurtured to leave the nest when we were college age — and they were ready to see us leave. It wasn’t boot camp, but we weren’t coddled either. There’s another group of people that have influenced me because of their perseverance in life issues. Regardless of their challenges, I was always amazed at their optimism even though they’d been dealt a tough hand. Their approaches have stuck in my head as I want to complain about mundane things in life. Big picture.
The majority of my work life has been at ddm. Leaders within ddm placed me in circumstances to grow. No doubt I was bold/cocky and thought I could handle anything. I think they showed patience and sanded down the rough spots without me always seeing that I was getting polished. I hope my lesson learned from them was to give others room to grow as well. It creates a much higher ceiling for potential than if we tell everyone what to do.
What day-to-day structures do you have in place for you to experience a fulfilled life?
I feel like my priorities have produced a broad ecosystem — of family, work, friends, and community ― even if it didn’t feel intentionally created. We have four kids, all in some form of adulthood. We’re transitioning from being nurturers and taxi drivers to being cheerleaders. It’s really fulfilling to watch them step into life. I’m also a recovering workaholic. What I realize I need now more than ever is time with family and friends as well as being alone. The other thing that’s important to me is to participate in other aspects of community. Getting involved in non-profits gives me back far more than I put into them. They teach me.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think it might help people?
We’ll always be focused on outcomes-based marketing and communications; we’re working with many of our clients that need to bring their brand to life internally as much as they’ve been expressing it externally. We’ve been active in crafting employee value propositions. Companies are in a new era of creating an environment of value and belonging necessary to build a sense of community and employee engagement. It’s been exciting to be a part of these efforts.
Ok, thank you for sharing your inspired life. Now let’s discuss marketing. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority on marketing?
I’m having a hard time not making a series of self-deprecating jokes to answer this. I just survived this long… I’m an authority in my own mind — just ask me…
The honest answer is that I have been doing this nearly 30 years — and our company has for more than 30 years. We’ve learned to decipher what are timeless elements of good marketing and communication and adapted our delivery to different tones and applications over the years. Our approach has always been to listen and create clarity first. Only when we, and our clients, have reasonable clarity are we acting and executing. It keeps us from selling trendy things and shiny objects and focus on results.
Throughout history, marketing has driven trade for humans. What role do you see that marketing played to get human societies where we are today?
Like anything, marketing can be used to contribute or detract. Part of the reason for that is that it’s facilitated by humans. We have good intentions. We want you to like something and buy it. But to what lengths are we willing to go to get a result ― to move from persuasion to manipulation and malpractice?
The Golden Rule must apply to marketing decisions. Treat others as you want to be treated. Promote what you can support and believe in. Use tools and practices in the manner you want your family and friends to be treated. The evolution in recent years is that we’re developing relationships and peer-level engagements. Either you adapt to that or go the way of the dinosaur.
I work in marketing so I’m very cognizant of this question. What role does marketing play in creating the human experience of “I don’t have enough” even when basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing are met?
I think broader societal changes are influencing accountability in many ways. There are many guard rails that address social responsibility and community value that are contributing to more governance.
The other side of this is we live in a place/era of choice that allows for many unique value systems and structures. What each of us prioritizes in our lives ― experiences, tangible things, brands, etc. ― can differ. So, there’s not a single set of rules. But what is becoming an expected standard is transparency. What does the product or service do? Are there risks or negative impacts? How is the product made?
What responsibility do marketers have when it comes to people feeling that they aren’t enough?
I think there’s a special place in hell for manipulative practices and the people that create them.
Many 21st-century marketing professionals in a capitalistic society will discuss solving human “pain points” as a way to sell products, services, and other wares successfully. In your opinion or experience, has aggravating pain points led to more pain?
Someone in the healthcare industry recently said their role as a provider was to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities they serve. He wondered aloud whether they had made progress. I respect their honesty and willingness to wrestle with that thought. There’s forever going to be the pull of business goals (revenues/profits) with managing “pain points”. I would challenge anyone to say they’ve done it perfectly. That said, you must be committed to managing that tension between what’s best for the individuals and good for the organization.
Different cultures view trade/marketing differently. While some may focus on “pain-points” others may focus on “purpose-points”. How do other cultures differ in how they approach marketing? Please give examples or studies you may know about.
I may not be best suited to answer this. My experiences are more domestic if we’re talking about geographic cultures. Generally, I’d say your marketing should always start from the audience perspective and grow from there. So, I would expect the delivery of messaging would adapt to meet an audience and their drivers.
Okay, fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview: It seems as if we have never stopped to question marketing. In your opinion, how can marketing professionals be more responsible for how their advertising shapes our human experience of feeling safe, secure, and knowing that we matter? Based on your experience or research can you please share “Five Ways We Can Re-Imagine The Marketing Industry To Make It More Authentic, Sustainable, And Promote More Satisfaction”?
Marketing isn’t inherently bad any more than if we were discussing healthcare, food or finances. Anything can be manipulated, done to excess, and lead to terrible or destructive outcomes. I would continue to point to accountability and responsibility. The best suggestion I can make is not to regulate, but to consider the ethical responsibilities we have in marketing. Medicine’s ethical cornerstone is ‘do no harm’. That same logic must pervade thinking within marketing as well.
- Be part of the solution: marketing is not a foreign language that doesn’t speak to the long-term goals of organizations. It should be aligned to the mission and vision of what the organization intends to accomplish. The core values will guide how you communicate with customers.
- Think long-term: There will always be short-term opportunities, but what’s the long-view way to remain viable? What’s the best outcome you can imagine? Answer those questions and work backwards from there.
- Transparency: Sustainability normalized into our discussions a number of years ago. But that’s really the first chapter in a broader discussion of being a completely open book in a world in which consumers want to be associated with brands that align to their values.
- People over profits: Prioritize the buyer and profits will follow. Prioritize profits over people, and you might be sitting in a room all alone.
- People over products: Don’t forget you’re talking to humans. Speak to them, not at them.
For you personally, if you have all your basic needs met, do you feel you have enough in life?
I think we’re created for more than basic survival. We need to have purpose and value. We need to be part of a community whose members are committed to each other. There’s a lie that you should do only what makes you happy. That doesn’t feel like a long-term play. I think happiness and fulfillment includes positively impacting others, not just ourselves.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that have inspired you to live with more joy in life?
I believe in absorbing content from many topics, environments and perspectives. General news still matters as a basis to be informed of world and local events. Content from the business, marketing and advertising world is valuable to maintain a pulse of direction of the industry and understand possibilities and trends. But then I feel like you need to be fed from life thought leaders in other worlds and walks of life. Videos, podcasts, articles and books — take it all in. Be willing to listen to someone you can be inspired by, as well as the individual that makes you angry. You’re going to learn from both. I’m constantly amazed that reading an article in Harvard Business Review and Dave Grohl’s autobiography (The Storyteller) can contribute equally to my own development — albeit in very different parts of my brain. While I love some solid news, I’m also a sucker for a podcast like Smartless where I can be entertained and/or inspired by a popular icon.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I believe in serving others beyond our vocation. I think the theoretical movement I’d love to see is what would happen if more people operated in service to others. What they would learn about themselves and the impact they could have? So maybe a national clearinghouse of service opportunities to connect individuals with opportunities (organizations, neighbors, etc.). I’ve never served and not been blessed well beyond any effort I contributed. Your contribution can also bring immeasurable benefit.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
I am a conduit for great team members at ddm and the clients we work with. Follow ddm on LinkedIn or visit teamddm.com.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About The Interviewer: For 30 years, Drew Gerber has been inspiring those who want to change the world. Drew is the CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc., a full-service PR agency lauded by PR Week and Good Morning America. Wasabi Publicity, Inc. is a global marketing company that supports industry leaders, change agents, unconventional thinkers, companies and organizations that strive to make a difference. Whether it’s branding, traditional PR or social media marketing, every campaign is instilled with passion, creativity and brilliance to powerfully tell their clients’ story and amplify their intentions in the world. Schedule a free consultation at WasabiPublicity.com/Choosing-Publicity.
Marketing Re-Imagined: Jordan Buning of ‘ddm marketing + communications’ On How We Can Re-Imagine… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.