This is a part 1 of “All marketers are liars” discussions held on ResearchAsaHobby.com.
Take these marketing secrets
Disclaimer: Everything written is this post is not true, not real and just a reconstruction of my and Raah’s daydreaming. Although both I and Raah had the same dream, we tend to think it was all real. Moreover, Seth Godin, the author of several bestseller books on marketing, once said that many things are true only because people believe that they are true. So, it is your turn to decide whether it is for real or not. End of the disclaimer. Now the story.
Raah and I were sitting at our street cafe table slowly drinking a grapefruit juice. It was bitter sweet. When you drink it you realize that it is not completely sweet, but can’t call it bitter either. We both love it. It is a whole journey when you focus first on bitterness, and then, after you clearly fixed it, move your attention to its sweet taste. You can toggle between these two tastes forth and back. After some practice you can do it fast. Incredible. How can’t anyone love grapefruit juice?
Me: Look, Raah, I read Seth Godin’s book “All marketers are liars. The power of telling authentic stories”. He shares ideas how to be a great marketer. And I’ve picked out several points from it for my notice. Do you want me to read them for you?
Raah: Sure.
Me: Let’s go from the very beginning. The first one is “Just facts are boring. Wrap facts into remarkable and authentic story telling…”. The next one is…
Raah: Wait a minute. Let me get it. So you say that you have picked out an actual Seth Godin’s quote.
Me: Right
Raah: So it is fact, isn’t it?
Me: Yep. Why?
Raah: But you have said Seth’s quote that just facts are boring. So why did you want to give me more boring facts and no story?
Me: Well… Because I’ve got a list over here…
Raah: Great. But I don’t want your list. I want a remarkable and authentic story!
Me: Uhm… Alright. No bare facts. Let me think. Okay. My story started when I read the title of the book and said to myself: “Seth Godin is a hell of a great marketer to put it that bold!” Look again – “All marketers are liars”. So he is the prophet of liars then! And do you know what? I wanted to read his lie!
Raah: Good start.
Me: Is it about me or Seth?
Raah: Both of you.
Me: Thanks. And do you know what stroke me next? Seth said that a lot of things are true only because people believe that they are true.
Raah: Nice. It reminds me that once before going to the Bermudas I talked to George Berkeley who shared with me his idea that things become real for us if we simply perceive them. Looks like Seth developed Berkeley’s idea.
Me: Maybe. Seth also says that we believe in what we want to believe.
Raah: So tell me then the story that I want to believe! That’s the point!
Me: But don’t you feel a shade of a dangerous symptom here? We are not talking about a movie or a fiction book to get excited while watching or reading. It is about your worldview, your inner system of how you organize your thoughts and actions!
Raah: Yes, it is. Anyway, do you remember Matrix movie? How a guy, a betrayer, wanted to eat well, drink well and feel well even knowing that it was not real.
Me: Yeah, that lousy man…
Raah: …and did you think that there could be more layers of “realities”? I mean not just the illusion ordinary world where people drink red wine, eat perfect food and meet beautiful girls, and the second world, the “real” one in underground where a bunch of people tried to hack the Matrix. Imagine there was another layer, the very real one. And that underground world with the bunch of people was just the illusion world for this third layer?
Me: I see. But then it might be not three worlds, but as many as you want.
Raah: You get the point, man!
Me: No, it is too dangerous for my brain. There is no ground, no foundation then. Everything is both fake and real at the same time. Everyone can choose in what reality to live. Chaos.
Raah: No man, it is our reality nowadays.
Me: I don’t want to accept this reality. I want to believe that there is truth and there is falsehood.
Raah: Many people live in their own realities and I think Seth Godin says to create more better realities so that people could choose what reality they like more and enjoy it.
Me: Consumerism of realities… Turning reality into commodity, turning beliefs into kind of never-ending movies or books.
Raah: I guess your reality is too pessimistic. Look, people do not believe in one god, they have many religions to choose…
Me: I’m afraid that people can loose their God one day at all.
Raah: Well, you are not the first one who said it. “God is dead” by Nietzsche, remember?
Me: I guess it goes to far now. I am not even sure that we still talking about Seth Godin’s marketing ideas. Let’s better come to my list.
Raah: Are you avoiding the reality? Okay, just kidding. So what is next on your list?
Me: Before going on, here are Seth Godin’s ideas what we have just discussed:
– Just facts are boring. Wrap facts into remarkable and authentic story telling
– A lot of things are true only because people believe that they are true
– We believe in what we want to believe
…to be continued. In the next part you will know how Seth Godin successfully cheated with his book title to attract more readers, as well as other interesting and useful marketing secrets.
Also, the table of contents is here.
And while Raah and I have a break, share your thoughts in the comments below. When do you think these three quotes from Seth Godin work and when don’t they work?
BTW, I respect your privacy, and of course I don't send spam, affiliate offers or trade your emails. What I send is information that I consider useful.
nope i disagree there are facts which are real whether people believe in it or not its independent reality like existence of a creator, if you choose to not believe this fact then it doesnt make it vanish. i believe in Allah and im a pharmacist my belief is with knowledge and science. Also nice advices you have on websites!
Thank you for your opinion, Mustafa. In this article I touch pretty disputable things (“disputable” in this context means it’s totally fine to disagree with).