This post is in reaction to the Whopper Virgins campaign currently garnering some not-so-stellar publicity. See Charlie Gibson’s ABC World News Webcast here.

Everyone used to have just an opinion. Now the opinions are attached to microphones like twitter, facebook, xyz.blog.com, etc. and the speakers are pumping everyone’s praise and vitriol into management offices everywhere. Undoubtedly, as more and more people adopt social media, the volume will soon be turned to eleven.

Marketers have to realize now that they’re not going to please all of the people all of the time — and that’s ok. It’s not only okay, it’s the whole point. That’s why a target audience is never defined as “everyone”. If “everyone” is your target audience, you’re on the road to failure. There just isn’t enough money to reach “everyone” and you’d be a fool to try. If you’ve done your homework, you will have further solidified your audience, making them that much more loyal.

If marketers don’t realize this before they begin experiencing increasing mass market pressure to kill a commercial, a print ad, anything that just rubs them the wrong way, they’ll just wind up as puppets of popular opinion, continually pulling the plug on every idea that actually grabs people’s attention and incites a reaction — good or bad.

Dear Marketers: it’s time to 1)  grow a set, or 2) subject yourself to a life catering to mass mediocrity.

I’m pretty sure the first choice will be much more profitable.

Thoughts? Opinions? Love to hear ‘em. My speakers are always on.