Today, I witnessed The Art of Marketing. Through a day of lectures from incredibly smart marketers, I was handed threads of ideas, insights, and a handful of aha! moments that not only inspired, but gave me confidence that the beliefs and values that I hold as a marketer are on the right track. Oh, and I also met Seth Godin, one of my heroes. So all in all, it was a pretty killer day. Being the huge nerd that I am, I couldn't wait to get home to reflect on what had transpired.
I am always intrigued by how the majority of these talks are often designed to sell marketers on the idea that "digital matters" and that "we can't ignore the connection economy." As a 21 year-old, I can be counted as one of the generation that is being coined as digital natives. To me, it isn't why should we be online, but how should we be online? I mention all of this because I was pleasantly surprised today that despite many talks asking us to buy into the connection economy, none of them felt redundant. Each speaker added a new texture, something to consider, an angle to tackle this issue from, that felt new and inspired. Thanks to this, I have a wealth of new knowledge and a notebook of scrawled thoughts and quotes to carry throughout my next adventure as a marketer.
Without taking too much space, I'd like to share some of the soundbites that resonated with me; they either hit me as aha! moments, or were moments of deep understanding as thoughts & views I hold were validated and brought to light in a way I couldn't previously articulate myself. Some may seems confusing or odd out of context, but I hope that they provide a spark of inspiration for you.
1. Seth Godin
The man whose name alone drove me into a frenzy to find a ticket to this conference. Even though I've read a number of his books & follow his daily blog, his speech still brought new insights.
Without taking too much space, I'd like to share some of the soundbites that resonated with me; they either hit me as aha! moments, or were moments of deep understanding as thoughts & views I hold were validated and brought to light in a way I couldn't previously articulate myself. Some may seems confusing or odd out of context, but I hope that they provide a spark of inspiration for you.
1. Seth Godin
The man whose name alone drove me into a frenzy to find a ticket to this conference. Even though I've read a number of his books & follow his daily blog, his speech still brought new insights.
"Revolution looks like going from perfect, to impossible."
"The connection economy is made of an exchange of ideas. All of us are smarter than any of us."
"What successful marketers do, is we screw up all the time."
"Human beings like doing what other human beings are doing. We want to be in the tribe."
"If their was a map for this, it wouldn't be art."
"If failure is not an option, then neither is success."
"Being prepared means that you have done the work. But you will never be ready. Waiting until it is the right time is what paralyzes our ability to do art."
"Failing is cheaper than ever before, so fail often."
"Fear is a symptom that you're on to something. Follow that fear and use it as a compass. Dance with the fear."
"If you work for a factory-like corporation that won't let you do the art of marketing, then you should leave."
2. Nancy Duarte
This speech delved into how to be a great communicator, and what it truly means to be a story teller. Pulling examples from famous speeches like "I Have a Dream", she showed the patterns behind all great pieces of communication.
"The connection economy is made of an exchange of ideas. All of us are smarter than any of us."
"What successful marketers do, is we screw up all the time."
"Human beings like doing what other human beings are doing. We want to be in the tribe."
"If their was a map for this, it wouldn't be art."
"If failure is not an option, then neither is success."
"Being prepared means that you have done the work. But you will never be ready. Waiting until it is the right time is what paralyzes our ability to do art."
"Failing is cheaper than ever before, so fail often."
"Fear is a symptom that you're on to something. Follow that fear and use it as a compass. Dance with the fear."
"If you work for a factory-like corporation that won't let you do the art of marketing, then you should leave."
2. Nancy Duarte
This speech delved into how to be a great communicator, and what it truly means to be a story teller. Pulling examples from famous speeches like "I Have a Dream", she showed the patterns behind all great pieces of communication.
"It is the communicator who will change the world."
"Change is a bitter pill to swallow. Story is the emotional strategy to tackle communicating the change."
"A movement = symbols + stories + ceremonies"
"We have become a storytelling culture."
"Always include a STAR moment: Something They'll Always Remember."
3. Mitch Joel
Mitch dove into how the business landscape has changed and what opportunities are available to us that we as marketers aren't capitalizing on appropriately. I won't go into depth about these, but I'm definitely interested in reading his book to delve into these concepts and if you're intrigued, you should too!
i. Direct Relationships
ii. Sex with Data
iii. Utilitarian Marketing.
iv. The One Screen World
"Change is a bitter pill to swallow. Story is the emotional strategy to tackle communicating the change."
"A movement = symbols + stories + ceremonies"
"We have become a storytelling culture."
"Always include a STAR moment: Something They'll Always Remember."
3. Mitch Joel
Mitch dove into how the business landscape has changed and what opportunities are available to us that we as marketers aren't capitalizing on appropriately. I won't go into depth about these, but I'm definitely interested in reading his book to delve into these concepts and if you're intrigued, you should too!
i. Direct Relationships
ii. Sex with Data
iii. Utilitarian Marketing.
iv. The One Screen World
"We don't follow friends on Facebook. We follow people we knew in high school who we hope got fat."
"The consumer doesn't recognize the chasm between privacy and personalization. You need to show them that you are creating more value for them with the data."
"This is the humanization of technology."
4. John Jantsch
John told stories about some great companies and how they were doing business differently, what he calls "avoiding the crowd." The case studies were intriguing, though to be honest, the speech was rather long-winded and I didn't write down any true aha! moments.
"The consumer doesn't recognize the chasm between privacy and personalization. You need to show them that you are creating more value for them with the data."
"This is the humanization of technology."
4. John Jantsch
John told stories about some great companies and how they were doing business differently, what he calls "avoiding the crowd." The case studies were intriguing, though to be honest, the speech was rather long-winded and I didn't write down any true aha! moments.
5. Brian Wong
Shout out to UBC Sauder School of Business Alum! Brian spoke about his business, kiip, and how it's helping capture moments. I found his talk to be the most tangible of all the speeches as he explained the psychology and consumer behaviour behind why his product works.
Shout out to UBC Sauder School of Business Alum! Brian spoke about his business, kiip, and how it's helping capture moments. I found his talk to be the most tangible of all the speeches as he explained the psychology and consumer behaviour behind why his product works.
"Marketing is all about owning the now moment."
"We're plagued by FOMO: Fear of missing out."
"We have found a way to pinpoint the point of sweat."
"More can happen than just an impression [in terms of marketing metrics]."
"You build loyalty from delight."
"You want the marketing to add value to the consumer, not just the product."
"Real time marketing = real time needs addressing."
6. Keith Ferrazzi
I've been meaning to read his book, Never Eat Alone, for awhile now, so it was really exciting to see this talk. Keith was engaging and shared ways to create an environment around you where you allow others to help you. It seems a bit daunting to think about purposefully constructing relationships, but was truly insightful and made me consider how I am approaching this whole "networking" thing.
"We're plagued by FOMO: Fear of missing out."
"We have found a way to pinpoint the point of sweat."
"More can happen than just an impression [in terms of marketing metrics]."
"You build loyalty from delight."
"You want the marketing to add value to the consumer, not just the product."
"Real time marketing = real time needs addressing."
6. Keith Ferrazzi
I've been meaning to read his book, Never Eat Alone, for awhile now, so it was really exciting to see this talk. Keith was engaging and shared ways to create an environment around you where you allow others to help you. It seems a bit daunting to think about purposefully constructing relationships, but was truly insightful and made me consider how I am approaching this whole "networking" thing.
"The simple rule of relationships: nobody want to have one with you. You have to bait the hook with generosity."
"We are more connected than ever, but less relational. To be related is to be intimate, to care, to be bonded, to be generous."
"We long to connect to the tribe, so invite people to collaborate and build greatness with you."
"The DNA of a high performing team is caring in the work place. Only then can you try to create that environment for your consumer in the marketplace."
"Just because something is purposeful, doesn't make it fake."
"Yes, prejudice will hold you back. The prejudice that you don't believe people will accept you."
"The great brands of the world are the brands that are human & empathetic."
"Vulnerability gives you the permission to be heard."
"Let people help you."
"We are more connected than ever, but less relational. To be related is to be intimate, to care, to be bonded, to be generous."
"We long to connect to the tribe, so invite people to collaborate and build greatness with you."
"The DNA of a high performing team is caring in the work place. Only then can you try to create that environment for your consumer in the marketplace."
"Just because something is purposeful, doesn't make it fake."
"Yes, prejudice will hold you back. The prejudice that you don't believe people will accept you."
"The great brands of the world are the brands that are human & empathetic."
"Vulnerability gives you the permission to be heard."
"Let people help you."
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