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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Bad - but Not Original, June 1, 2005
Godin writes: "This is a whole new way of doing business."
Well, if it is such Seth, then surely You aren't the first marketer to spot this. Therefore, Seth Godin shouldn't take credit for revealing some of the powers of storytelling in marketing.
Other authors were there long before him (e.g. Laurence Vincent, John Simmons, Steve Denning, Christopher Locke, Dave Snowden), who managed to go deeper and further. Mind you though that their individual approaches are very different.
Much of what Godin calls storytelling are simply elements of marketing strategy (already well know to marketers) presented here in a new wrapping called "storytelling". But just because you say so, that doesn't make it so!
Where he writes "You can't out-Amazon Amazon" and "Make your story stand out from the competition", he is simply describing the importance of positioning, and similarly it isn't 'Rocket Science' when he says "Cheap is not marketing". Rather it is leaning up against men like Michael Porter who have been discussing the inherent dangers of price competition for decades.
He does however practice what he preaches. He tells a story that his customers want to believe. It is a pleasant though that success can be achieved simply by telling cute little stories. It is however not as simple as this, which is why I suggest you explore other authors too (See above).
A point I fully agree on is that: "You must aggressively go to the edges and tell a story that only you could tell." However, I don't feel that Godin has followed his own gospel in this case. The story he tells in "All Marketers are Liars" has to a wide extent already been told by a number of other skilful authors.
He still gets 3 stars from me, because I welcome any additions to the body of knowledge available about storytelling in marketing. I believe it is a powerful tool, and it deserves wider recognition.
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40 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wholly Cow! (Purple, of Course), June 20, 2005
Obviously, the purpose of this title is to attract attention. And it does. When you begin to read this book, ignore the title (at least for a while) and focus on Godin's narrative. The appropriateness of Godin's title is best revealed during a careful reading of his lively narrative. As always, his ideas and writing style have Snap! Crackle! and Pop! Think of Godin as a cereal thinker.
In this volume, Godin offers his own profile of a great story: It is true, not because it is factual but because it is consistent and authentic; it offers a promise (e.g. enlightenment, entertainment, inspiration); it can be trusted because it is (to repeat) consistent and authentic; it is subtle; its impact "happens fast"; it appeals (preferably) to all of our senses (seldom, if ever to our logic); it is crafted for a specific audience; it does not contradict itself; and finally, it is in alignment with what its audience already knows, feels, believes, etc. Re the last point, a great story offers a reminder and a reassurance while, paradoxically, challenging conventional wisdom. Above all, it commands attention. Godin's profile of a great story also describes the most effective marketing campaigns.
Here's a question: What do Aesop, Jesus Christ, the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), Joel Chandler Harris, and L. Frank Baum have in common? Answer: All were great storytellers who, obviously, can come in all shapes and sizes. One of Godin's most important points is that almost anyone can be a great storyteller IF they (a) have a convincing, indeed compelling story to tell and (b) they tell it to the right audience.
Albeit taken out of context, here are a few brief quotations which are representative of Godin's thinking:
"Every consumer has a worldview that affects the product you want to sell. That worldview alters the way they interpret everything you say and do. Frame your story in terms of the worldview, and it will be heard." (excerpted from page 60)
"People only notice stuff that's new and different. And the moment they notice something new, they start making guesses about what to expect next." (excerpted from page 68)
"Humans are able to make extremely sophisticated judgments in a fraction of a second. And once they've drawn that conclusion, they resist changing it." (excerpted from page 76)
"Stories let us lie to ourselves. And those lies satisfy our desires. It's the story, not the good or the service you actually sell, that pleases the customer." (excerpted from page 84)
"The only stories that work, the only stories with impact, the only stories that spread are the `I can't believe that!' stories. These are the stories that aren't just repeated: these are the stories that demand to be repeated." (excerpted from page 132)
For whom will this book be of greatest value? Good question. My own response is that those who are receptive to rigorous and coherent thinking which is unorthodox will be appreciative of it but only those who are both willing and able to MAKE HIS IDEAS WORK FOR THEM will derive any value from it. First, they must carefully consider the series of nine questions which Godin poses in the final section, "So, What to Do?" Next, they must re-read the book at least once and then formulate their own answers to those nine questions. Throughout that difficult but rewarding process, Godin suggests, they must "understand that the people with a worldview that gives them a bias to listen to you are the most valuable customers on earth. Get permission from them to follow up, then get to work finding new [or much improved] products for the people who want them."
Those who have not already done so are strongly urged to read Godin's earlier works, notably Permission Marketing, Unleash the Ideavirus, Survival Is Not Enough, Purple Cow, and Free Prize Inside!
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Why is this guy so popular?, July 17, 2006
I find Seth Godin's books incredibly lightweight. There is really nothing of any substance here. The usual series of marketing anecdotes, normally about quite niche products. I think the whole thing can be summed up in the old advertising cliche: sell the sizzle, not the steak. He's just given it a new word - essentially he's dressing up well-worn concepts in new clothes. The book is poorly organised and repetitive, and I think he succeeds simply because his books are so lightweight - they're easily digestible on a bus ride or plane trip, don't rely on any support for his theories so they're not easily challenged, and essentially say very little. The marketing equivalent of the airport novel.
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