DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
Issue link: https://uberflip.westsidedigs.com/i/1132045
10 DIGS.NET | 6.21.2019 Warren J Dow | Publisher wdow@Southbaydigs.com | 310.373.0142 Who makes all these marketing rules? Google "the rules in marketing" and you'll find 990,000,000 results. Before we have some fun with this, let's step back and define what constitutes a rule in the first place. According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, the word rule has four definitions and several sub- definitions, but we'll stick with the main four for now. #1 – a prescribed guide for conduct or action #2 – a usually valid generalization #3 – the exercise of authority or control #4 – a strip of material marked off in units used especially for measuring All of which, or none of which, may actually apply to marketing. You see, the confusion surrounding the rules of marketing starts at the very definition itself. As a marketing rule is defined, it has a prescribed guide for the conduct or action, which is usually a valid generalization with the purpose of exercising authority or control around units used especially for measuring. Confused. You should be. Alas, the current state of marketing. In reality, there is only one universal rule in marketing. That's right – there's only one rule in marketing and that rule is… There are no rules in marketing. Back to Google, which loves content that involves rules and lists, which is why the top organic results have title descriptions like "5 Simple Rules of Marketing," and "4 Golden Rules of Marketing," and "Universal Rules of Marketing," and "The New Rules of Marketing," and "The Unbreakable Rules of Marketing," and so on. 990 million rules in marketing, no kidding. P U B L I S H E R ' S M U S E Cue intro to Guns N' Roses' Welcome to the (marketing) jungle here… It's open season for marketing buzzards to sell brands "rules of marketing" as they see fit, and continue to accelerate the spin cycle. As Warren Buffett aptly stated, "Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing." Marketing experts. Google "marketing experts" and you'll find 991,000,000 results. So, there you have it – 990 million rules and 991 million experts. Just like there are no absolute rules in marketing, there are no marketing experts either. If you come across someone claiming to be a marketing expert – run. Or, if you must, hiring one is super easy, after all, there are 991 million of them running around. Brand Illusion. Marketing has become a gigantic Gordian knot, and brands need to pull their heads out of the sand and start paying close attention. Brands need to come to the realization that now, more than ever, the risk of doing marketing wrong, and the resulting damage done, has increased exponentially. When I talk to fellow entrepreneurs, I hear over and over again how disappointed they are with their company's marketing efforts and results. Yet, they have not invested the time to really understand and define what success looks like and continue to hire one "marketing expert" after another, each with their own set of "marketing rules" that promise marketing utopia. To riff off one of my favorite quotes by French Poet Paul Valery, "The best way to make your marketing dreams come true is to wake up." A way forward. With all of the hype, pomp, and circumstance surrounding marketing these days – there is light at the end of the tunnel. Brands should look inward first and have a deep understanding of why they exist, the problem that they're trying to solve, and the unique and intrinsic value they bring to the world. Remember the lessons of "The Hare & the Tortoise" – slow and steady wins the race, don't take shortcuts and be beholden to the "marketing rules" handed down by "marketing experts." Don't forget, marketing opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and most of them stink. Lastly, although there is no such thing as a marketing expert, there are still plenty of people in the world that can add value to the marketing story and provide guidance and Intel. It's in this pursuit, I've found a new passion - sifting through the marketing morass and hopefully adding a bit of value along the way. Until next time ~