Modern day marketing ... One blogger I try to read occasionally is Tim Rickards. Tim doesn't post frequently, but when he does he typically offers worthwhile insights into the marketing world.

And since one of the things that intrigues me about modern business is the present role of marketing -- as opposed to advertising, which I see as less about connecting consumer and producer and more about creating demand -- I went ahead and asked Tim about it in an email.

Last week Tim responded at length. Initially I'd planned on excerpting a few passages here, but the truth is you should read the whole thing. Anyone interested in the subject would do well to check it out.