This Is Marketing: You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn to See

This book outlines the way forward for businesses in the world today. A must read.

This is an epic marketing bible, and I'm glad to have a print edition for reference. The items was listed in very good condition, but it is not. There are stains on the cover, which is also severely sun damaged. Also, all the page edges are yellow and there are post-it notes from the previous author scattered throughout the book.

I’ve owned my business for 21 years, but Seth Godin’s book, This Is Marketing, has transformed the way I think about marketing. I think this book could be called, The Philosophy of Modern Marketing, or Marketing that is Truly Effective. I used to think of marketing as a series of tasks I needed to do each month in order to drum up new business. Now I see marketing as a noble adventure with the intent to create meaningful change in some part of the world. On page 144, Seth talks about “your quest to matter.” That’s a beautiful way to some up his perspective on marketing. It’s not a task. It’s a quest, a call to adventure, something in sync with Joseph Campbell’s work on The Hero’s Journey. Seth emphasizes three critically important questions: 1. What change are you trying to make? 2. Who are you seeking to change? 3. What promise can you make to your potential customers? (Hint: your promise needs to connect to the change you want to make in the world.) He points out that the primary purpose of marketing is to create change in the world; meaningful, positive change. Then in Chapter 10 he explains how important it is to create tension that causes people to make a decision to work with you. On page 121, he wrote, “There are two ways to do your work. You can be a cab driver. Show up and ask someone where they want to go. Charge them based on the meter. Or you can be an agent of change, someone who creates tension and then relieves it.” This reminds me of Joseph Campbell’s retelling of the story about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. King Arthur challenged the knights to go on a quest for the Holy Grail. Then one of the knights stood and said, “We should all enter the forest at a different point, a place where there is no path. We should carve out our own path in our pursuit of the Holy Grail.” To me, that’s what Seth is telling us to do. Carve out your own path by clarifying the change you want to make in the world, which is your Holy Grail, and then steadily, day after day, stay on that quest to create that change for the people who need that change. Early in the book I decided to put a star next to statements that really meant a lot to me. By the end of the book I had over 70 stars and most of the book underlined. Here are some of the most powerful statements for me: (Page 12) “Marketers make change happen: for the smallest viable audience, and by delivering anticipated, personal, and relevant messages that people actually want to get.” (Page 12) “Marketers have the empathy to know that those they seek to serve don’t want what the marketer wants, don’t believe what they believe, and don’t care about what they care about.” (Page 20) “Marketing is our quest to make change on behalf of those we serve, and we do it by understanding the irrational forces that drive each of us.” (Page 28) “You have no chance of changing everyone. You need to change someone. Which ones? Do they share a psychographic?” (Page 65) “Our calling is to make a difference. A chance to make things better for those we seek to serve…Not for your own benefit, but because of what it can produce for others.” (Page 70) “Great marketing is the generous and audacious work of saying, ‘I see a better alternative; come with me.’” (Page 81) “Marketers make change. We change people from one emotional state to another. We take people on a journey; we help them become the person they’ve dreamed of becoming, a little bit at a time.” Do you see what I mean? Over and over and over Seth is teaching a new philosophy of modern marketing. Decide on the change you want to make, decide on who to change, and make a promise as to what those people will gain from you to make that change. I can’t encourage you enough to read, This Is Marketing. I believe you will see your marketing work as a noble adventure to make great and positive change in the world. And the book is filled with nuances and processes for you to consider as you move your marketing into action.

Para los que se dedican de una forma profesional al marketing es un libro que hay que leer. Para los que sean fans de Seth Godin, les encantará porque es él en estado puro, con toda su capacidad de comunicación y su particular visión del mundo del marketing. Para los que no lo sean, hay partes del libro que pueden ayudarte a revisar la forma en la que el marketing, como ha pasado en casi todos los sectores, ha cambiado en los últimos 15 o 20 años y por lo tanto lo que antes daba resultados, cada vez es más difícil que funcione y no tiene nada que ver el mundo de Don Draper.

Lo consiglio a chiunque cerchi un manuale sul marketing. È scritto bene, in maniera lineare, comprensibile, d'ispirazione. Sensazionale.

Enrealidad sigo mucho a Seth Godin. Me gusta mucho como escribe en su newsletter. Cuando vi que atacaria una perspectiva diferente de que no es tan importante lo que actualemte ahora se vende que es buscar tener mas likes o mas seguidores a la causa o más exposicion, lo compre inmediatamente, me llevo mis libros en estos temas despacio para leer por partes y ver como aplicarlo a mi proyecto. Definitivamente recomendado. Como no soy estudiante de marketing tampoco se que tan repetido este. Lo compre por el autor la verdad.

I've liked and valued all of Seth's books. This one I love! I love it because of the simple yet profound, remarkable questions it asks, each demanding a remarkable answer i.e. That will be remarked on by those we seek to serve. My favourites: What change are you seeking to make? What does better look like for the customer? Do they love it? Do they love themselves more because they love you? Why are the people who don't choose you correct in their decision to not choose you? What are you breaking? The people you're seeking to serve in this moment: what are they measuring? What's your flag? Why should someone fly it? Why is it so hard to develop a point of view? Of course to give these questions the remarkable answers they deserve you need the context of reading/studying the book. Please buy it now and get going today!