A coupla years ago, I was asked to name my favorite person in advertising. The answer: P.T. Barnum.

The nine years I spent developing online and offline marketing communications for The Greatest Show On Earth probably had something to do with it. Even so, a good book about Barnum should be on every marketer’s shelf alongside The Cluetrain Manifesto and the collected works of Seth Godin.

The other day, the New York Times ran a pretty good article on the man who, many say, invented advertising and marketing. It barely skims the surface, but it’s still worth a read. I particularly like how Kathy Maher, executive director of the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut, articulated Barnum’s talent: “His lasting legacy is how he managed to take something simple and make it extraordinary.”

Takeaway for marketers: It’s not about the humbug, it’s about the passion and creativity. Barnum had both in Jumbo-sized portions.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 12th, 2007 at 6:00 am and is filed under Marketing Stuff, Marketing Takeaways, This 'n' That.