Seth Godin is an amazing speaker who spreads simple, revolutionary ideas about marketing in the modern age. He speaks in a staccato with informative and often funny slides going while he speaks. In that spirit, here are some of his statements, occasionally paraphrased.
Ideas that spread, win.
The old world of TV marketing: I have money, I can interrupt whoever I want, whenever I want, with whatever message I want, even if it's not true.
The TV industrial complex: buy ads, use those ads to get more donations, get elected, raise money, use that money to buy more ads.
Now the world is filled with noise, and it's easy to ignore anything you don't want to hear. People have become very good at ignoring you. The TV model is broken.
Tiffany is giving the jewelry away; it's the box you pay for. Everyone is in the fashion business now.
10,000 years ago everyone was a hunter. Then the only animals were dead or really good at hiding. Farming came along and humanity was saved, except the politicians and the marketers. At election time, they go out and try to hit voters. Except the voters have become very good at hiding.
People like to do what other people are doing. Why did everyone do the Macarena? It's not because it's a good song! It's because when you would go to a wedding, everyone would make you do it. So why do politicians focus on private events with donors? Create movements and organizations where people can connect.
Targeting is a hunting term. Don't target, work the grapevine.
Don't look at the world as a funnel where you put ads in the top and hope a few votes come out of the bottom. Turn it into a megaphone and give it to the people. You're giving up some control but getting conversation, a current of support.
The new fashion permission complex: Be remarkable. Tell a story to your sneezers. They spread the word. You get people's permission to reach them.
