In my virtual sanctuary of marketing evangelism, Seth Godin is the guru who speaks truth to power. His expertise, wisdom, and insight are universal and applicable to companies of all sizes and types and professionals of all stars and stripes, be they in the boardroom, C-Suite, or where the rubber meets the road. Can the church say “Amen!”
Godin is the founder of the altMBA, an online leadership workshop; the founder and former CEO of Squidoo.com, the former VP of Direct Marketing at Yahoo!, and the founder of Yoyodyne, which was later acquired by Yahoo!. He is a recent inductee to the Marketing Hall of Fame, and also a member of the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame and the Guerrilla Marketing Hall of Fame.
In this congregant’s view, Godin is the preeminent authority on marketing. He is the author of 19 international bestsellers, including Unleashing the Ideavirus, a wildly popular ebook, Purple Cow, another success, and the newly released This Is Marketing.
In the publisher’s synopsis, This is Marketing
…shows you how to do work you’re proud of, whether you’re a tech startup founder, a small business owner, or an executive at a large corporation. Great marketers don’t use consumers to solve their company’s problem; they use marketing to solve other people’s problems. Their tactics rely on empathy, connection, and emotional labor instead of attention-stealing ads and spammy email funnels.
Allow me to slightly digress with a Tom Fishburne (Marketoonist) post, which reinforces the importance of context and intent for marketing effectiveness.
Right Person, Right Message, Right Time cartoon | Marketoonist | Tom Fishburne
Reaching the right person with the right message at the right time has long been the holy grail of marketing. The technology and data is tantalizingly close, and yet context and intent remain elusive. Personalized marketing is still wasted if it hits the wrong context and intent.
Bryan Elliott, the host of Behind the Brand, sits down with Godin to discuss This Is Marketing, “a game-changing approach to marketing, sales, and advertising.” For all who aspire to connect with target audiences in a meaningful way, this interview is must see marketing TV!
This Is Marketing is available on Amazon.com and if Seth Godin further inspires you, follow his blog.
GB O’Brien
LGK Principal
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