Memo to social media gurus

I got an email this morning inviting me to join a group on LinkedIn. The invite included this text:

"Traditional marketing and advertising no longer works. It's hit and miss. This group specifically focuses on the influencer and the channels they live in (online communities, social networks, micro-blogs, etc)"

A few months ago I was at a conference where one 'name' social media commentator said:

"Just how low do click rates need to fall for people to realise that banner advertising doesn't work?"

To which I say -

Some traditional marketing works. I know of agencies who produce very successful work for clients based on banner campaigns and search campaigns. Or, if you're talking about non-digital media, I know of lots of campaigns that work in lots of ways; one advertiser recently had to cancel some advertising on TV and posters because it was driving too many sales and they couldn't meet demand.

Some social media marketing works. I've seen campaigns & ideas that have become really popular, I've seen virals that have suddenly 'tipped' and got millions of views. I know of campaigns that have created such a fervent core of enthusiasts that millions of pounds have been generated.

I've also seen campaigns that have not worked; traditional campaigns and social media campaigns. Marketing always has an element of hit and miss, as has writing a book, making music or making a film.

Social media gurus - get over it.