This Is Marketing

Starred review from October 15, 2018
There's a very good reason Godin (and his 18 previous best-selling books) is so popular: simplicity, period. He boils down the principles of marketing (and, by the way, gently chides those who think social media is the be-all, end-all) in ways that anyone will understand and?he fervently hopes?adopt. This time, his focus is on making products and services better and telling the story, consistently and authentically. He touches on the familiar concepts of marketing, like promises, positioning, audience, and others. Yet it's all fresh?and with some new language that's worth remembering. Early adopters? Think neophiliacs. Consider affiliation versus dominion when scrutinizing audiences. At the heart of his lectures is trust, earned best through action, not words. Yes, the narrative is somewhat rambling?and slightly derivative; on the other hand, he liberally credits other thinkers, like Ted Levitt and Marshall Ganz, then shows how to revamp or reuse their ideas. Valuable insights from the guy who brought us Purple Cow (2003), permission marketing, and tribes. Appended with a marketing reading list and a simple marketing worksheet.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)