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Your Marketing Sucks! by Mark Stevens

A few years ago my wife and I were browsing through Barnes and Noble when this title hit us like a ton of bricks. Who the heck did this Mark Stevens think he was telling us that our marketing sucked.  He didn’t even know me. I had to pick up the book and see what he was talking about. (Lesson #1-be provocative in your marketing).

After only a few minutes of skimming the table of contents and a few chapters, we knew we had to get it. Our marketing DID suck! We got the book while driving to Big Bear, CA to celebrate our anniversary. We finished it before we reached our destination.

What I liked best about the book was its no holds barred attitude. He addresses issues that some people may find uncomfortable, but are truthful when it comes to business. One of my favorite chapters was chapter 3, “Start with a Blank Page.” In it he talks about the importance of ignoring what your competition is doing in their advertising and create something from scratch. If you start by looking at your competition, you either 1) could be setting the bar really low if they’re advertising is bad, and/or 2) you run the risk of mimicking them and blending in, not standing out (hmmm, seems like a topic that’s come up a few times here on this blog. :)

Just reading the chapters titles and descriptions can give you poignant insight into your business:

  1. Why your marketing sucks – stop throwing thousand-dollar bills out the window and camouflaging spending as marketing)
  2. Nothing happens until a sale is made – any company making sales the last step in the marketing process has its marketing program ass-backwards.
  3. Start with a blank page – to hell with what your competitors are doing…rethink everything and start from scratch.
  4. Make a spectacle of yourself–or your company – stop playing it safe with singles and doubles and start hitting home runs.
  5. There are no one-trick ponies – who says synergy never works? The practical benefits of integrated marketing

Check out the rest of the chapters yourself, but I think this gives you an idea of what to expect. We came away from this book with a fresh new outlook on our marketing and business. I guarantee you will too.

Posted in Business. Tagged with .

By Ron Dawson
May 21, 2009

Comments

  • I'm working on it, Ron. I've got something brewing... soon..
  • @Tim - very profound post my friend. YOU need to be writing a weekly blog about this stuff. :)
  • I love this book! I got it a few years ago in a similar circumstance (browsing B&N). It's a good reminder that it may be time to pick it up and read it again.
  • For me, when I first started out, I was so clueless. I lacked confidence and I really didn't know what I was doing marketing wise. I mimicked what others were doing and I did obsess about other businesses. I've been at this for 7 years now, so I've grown up a bit since then. :-)

    Something that you talk a lot about , Ron, is authenticity. Since entering in to the social media world two years ago, I have come to understand the profound marketing principle of authenticity as myself, as a human being, in all facets of life, including marketing.

    I think a lot of folks struggle to find their identity. I know I did. I've watched you transform a bunch of times and rework the plan and it was always interesting because I was doing some of the same things in my separate world.

    Ultimately, I've learned that if you want to change your business, first start with you. As that applies to identity, it doesn't start with trying to be some other type of you. Be you. Our clients are screaming for us to be truthful and honest with them. I think good marketing is a reflection of the heart in many ways. I think after 100's of years of advertising being shoved down our throats, folks just want to be told the truth. They want to know who you really are. I think with marketing, we still need to amplify ourselves, broadcast, connect, and engage, with our clients in a big way, but have that amplification be truthful and genuine at it's core.
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