Un-Marketing takes marketing as we know it, and flips it on its head. It’s a lesson in the new ways to market in our new connected, social media aware world. The book has a total of 56 chapters that are two to ten pages long, short and easy go digest. Each gives us real, applicable advice. People first, customers second.
The book itself is more like a conversation rather than a preaching or a sales pitch. At the heart of Un-Marketing is active engagement not hard core marketing. Scott’s language is simple and genuine. His case studies are funny and familiar. It’s a book that does not play by the rules; in fact it tosses them right out the window. He shows us that Un-Marketing is about letting people know you care. The section on the trust gap and experience gap are what resonated with me. In this chapter Scott makes an excellent point: “The space between the best services, often what a new customer receives, and the worst experience is what I call the Experience Gap. As a business owner your goal needs to be having no gap at all, optimizing every point of contact with your customer.”
Stratten offers his readers a wealth of rather unconventional ideas, stories, and resources to enable them to think outside the box. He touches on the ideas of platforming and social currency. It’s the idea that when it comes to marketing, social relationships are far more rewarding than the mere exchange of goods and services. In this case honesty, authenticity and transparency are vital to business success. Engaging with clients helps motivate then and establishes an environment of trust. These relationships are social currency that can be used in a positive and impassioned manner to further people’s confidence in a product or service. “Investing your social currency means giving your time, your knowledge and your efforts to that channel. People don’t care about your business until they know you care about them”. Today doing business, means putting people first. It’s about starting conversations and building a platform that stems from shared values and understanding.
The way we do marketing today is rapidly changing. Thus the question we have to ask ourselves is; would we rather flop, follow or get ahead? When most of us are fighting to stay afloat, Scott tells us it’s time to change gears and reevaluate our priorities as far as social engagement. Viral, Social and Authentic Marketing all of which Scott is an expert, fall under the umbrella of what is known as Un-Marketing.
The central message of the book is that when we truly allow ourselves to understand people, and allow for these relationships to grow it inevitably leads to trust and generates instant results. What’s more is that Scott’s Un-Marketing tactics aren’t that different from those we apply to real-life situations and people, which makes this that much more doable. With ten years experience under his belt, Scott has been fortunate enough to work with the likes of Cirque du Soleil, Fidelity Investments and more. All of them have sought Stratton’s guidance when it comes to navigating the realm of social, viral and relationship media.
By reading this book we are once again reminded that market relevance is the key to success. “It is not about quantity but rather quality” says Scott, that if we use our best judgment and apply some common sense to the way we deal with others the market will always follow regardless of the competition. As long as we learn to foster and maintain these important relationships the marketing will take care of itself.
