Here’s the manifesto from the new best-seller Punk Marketing
, co-authored by my friend Richard Laermer.
A Q&A with Richard on the book is coming soon. In the meantime, check out Punk Marketing for yourself.
1. Avoid Risk and Die In times of change the greatest risk is to take none at all.
2. Why Not Ask ‘Why Not?’ Assumptions are just that. Anything you assume is usually a half-truth or generalizations that once served a useful purpose but now hinders truly creative solutions.
3. Take a Strong Stand Trying to be all things to everyone on the planet inevitably results in meaning little of interest to just about anybody.
4. Don’t Pander Customers are important but they are not necessarily right.
5. Give Up Control Consumers now control brands. Smart marketers recognize this and embrace it rather than fight the powerful truth.
6. Expose Yourself A relationship of trust between brand and consumer, like that between two people, is built upon honesty.
7. Make Enemies All brands need to position themselves against an alternative.
8. Leave Them Wanting More Avoid the temptation to reveal all of your assets at once. Or as the masters have said: You don’t teach them everything you know. You teach them everything they know.
9. Outthink the Competition Think smarter than the other dude. Do not be led into temptation by the fast buck and don’t try and outspend them.
10. Don’t Be Seduced By Technology The media is not the message anymore. The message is the message is the message.
11. Know Who You Are If you don’t understand what it is that you are good at you might be tempted to try and be something you are not.
12. No More Marketing Bullshit Get to the point. Express it clearly and simply. Einstein said — we believe he meant marketers: “Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.”
13. Don’t Let Others Set Your Standards Sorry to tell you this but good no longer means anything while mediocre does more harm than doing nothing.
14. Use the Tools Of The Revolution Go write your own Manifesto. Remind yourself of its articles whenever you lack resolve.
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