Inspiring Marketing Quotes That Are… Kinda Bullshit
"People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it." – Simon Sinek
Really?
Come on. The companies he referenced in his famous book are all well-established brands with no need for additional brand salience. His conclusion is based on reverse-engineering an ethos to a successful company.
There is ample research to show that brand awareness advertising is simply the building and refreshing of memory structures.
Here’s a quote I like better:
“You do not want to be a $10M CPG brand that has spent so little time listening to consumers that you've inadvertently spent a lot of money marketing your own personal why in order to drive organic growth.”
— Dr. James Richardson
I like Simon Sinek. I like “Find Your Why”. I really do. But I believe your “why” ought to be targeted towards employees and stakeholders, not customers.
"People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic." – Seth Godin
Now wait a science-kickin’ minute.
Magic?
When did marketing become a religion?
Yes, relationships and referrals are powerful triggers to influence purchasing decisions.
And yes, you can sell with stories.
But consumer packaged goods (CPG) satisfy a desired social attribute outcome, such as weight management.
"Marketing is really just about sharing your passion." – Michael Hyatt
Is it?
I love craft beer. I’ve spent 10 years marketing and selling it. And based on the amount of bankruptcies in my category, I’d say marketing is a lot more than sharing a passion.
"Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department." – David Packard
I like this quote.
That said, I believe it’s worth emphasizing that marketing, in many cases, should be left to the marketing department with inputs from other departments.
Too often, I see industries in which marketing is left to the manufacturing department (craft beer), the sales department (financial services), the front of house (hospitality), the HR department (employee benefits), or the founder. The latter can be powerful if they understand their consumer. Most don’t, in my experience.
"Good blogs don’t insult famous marketers.” — Joshua Counsil
Shit.
