Your post really caught my attention. In this six degrees of Kevin Bacon world, Phil Kotler and I are good friends, and have been for a number of years. I consider him something of a mentor.

I’ve shared many of my advocacy articles, white papers, and presentations with Phil; and have even provided him with content on companies successfully leveraging customer advocacy (Harley-Davidson, IKEA, Legos, American Express Red, for example) for conference keynotes in the U.S. and EMEA. Also, I’ve had the privilege of sitting in on his sessions at some of these events, even participating in the Q & A at one of them (in London, a couple of years ago).

As you note, even at 79, he’s a highly energetic individual whose thinking and conceptualizing about marketing is always ahead of the curve. He’s written close to 30 books; and he’s told me that looking at the evolving nature of advocacy is on his near-term agenda. I attended a cultural event with Phil and his wife last summer, and discussed my new book outline - which is focused on customer and employee advocacy - briefly with him. He was very positive about the idea of ‘advocates vs. saboteurs (badvocates)’, and indicated that he was also developing a new book concept where advocacy would be a core theme.

Best regards.

Michael
New email: mwlowenstein@gmail.com

CEOs (including Howard Schultz as you cite) are the top advocates for their organizations. They need to drive advocacy and minimize badvocacy among a host of stakeholders, such as employees, investors, business partners, the media, the communities in which they operate, and perhaps regulators. The reputations of their companies rely upon their ability to advocate openly and ethically on behalf of their firms.

Funny that you suggest we write about advocacy in PR Week…our chairman, Jack Leslie, did just that in an op-ed a few years ago. Here’s the link: http://www.webershandwick.com/Default.aspx/Insights/ThoughtLeadership/ThoughtLeadership/2007/OP-EDbyJackLeslieAdvocacy-TheNextWave-PRWeekUSMarch122007

Again, many thanks for your comments and especially your support of advocacy!

Badvocacy is pertinant point. Cluetrain speaks highly of this Richard, so I am here with you. If you had to write a summary for PR Week of what Advocacy is how would it go. Perhaps it can illustrated by Starbucks and hope you have been inpired by my questions not preturbed. I feel your ahead of the curve.

Dara Bell