Yesterday, I blogged about Seth Godin’s book This is Marketing.
I called it his newest book but a quick trip to Amazon told me I was wrong. This one came out in 2018 and The Practice is his newest book. Whoops.
While I was on Amazon I glanced at the reviews and this one caught my eye (also above)
“I like Seth a lot but sometimes his ideas are not a reflection of the real world. There are some products that benefit from telling a brand story but 99% of products don’t need a story. When I buy a frozen pizza or cereal I don’t need a brand story, just give me a good product at a fair price. If marketers should want to change the world why do some brands who have violated consumer trust still grow and make money? Yes, some products solve my problems but most just meet my basic need as a consumer.”
This guy does have a point. The average person who goes to buy a frozen pizza may grab any old pie off the shelf but that’s NOT everyone.
Not all brands tell stories but ALL brands are storytelling. What’s the difference?
Digiorno Pizza tells a story (which is also their USP). It’s not delivery, it’s DiGiorno. Their pizza is like ordering from a restaurant. Not really, but that’s what they say. And back in 1995 when DiGiorno came out, it was a lot better than most frozen pizzas.
Now on to storytelling.
Every product is storytelling. The price tells a story. The font on the box tells a story. The color of the packaging tells a story. When you package a product or service everything matters.
If you think like that guy, you’re gonna be stressed. And you’re gonna shell out tons of time and cash trying to keep clients from running away faster than Usain Bolt.
I will admit, some commodities or his “basic needs” type products do require little brain power. Like hangers. Hangers are not particularly exciting to most people. Even though I saw an article where two experts reviewed 32 different models of hangers for over 8 hours.
This guy helps make my point from yesterday clear. If you make a product for everyone I hope you have a rich and generous uncle. But if you focus on a small niche, you’ll find people who actually give a damn about you.
Winston Churchill said, “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” There’s nothing wrong with all animals. But if you like pigs, market to pigs. Cats and dogs will be fine without you.
Adam