DISQUS

Jeff Browning · 4 years ago

Great piece. I would generally agree with all of your points. But, something worth adding is that good marketing is about reducing the barriers between product and consumer, delivering the "message" at a frequency or impedence level the audience can accept.



Do technical folks look forward to that next glossy brochure or datasheet they get at a tradeshow or in a direct mail piece? I don't think so. Do they like unformatted, text-heavy technical details or videos they can play on their next iPod/PSP/etc.? Probably so.



(note: I say this also knowing that other audiences require the the glossies as much or more...)



With our F5 developer program and community, we've embraced this approach and the great things the Channel 9 team is doing. Transparent, engaging, conversational, and - most important - substance without bulls***.



Keep up the great thoughts and perspectives on looking beyond the obvious when it comes to marketing.



Cheers,

- Jeff

Gordon · 4 years ago

Great post - Reminds me of an old saying:

"Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department..."

Big media techniques don't work in this world - the democratisation of content and the accesibility of personal conversation make it appear too cheesy - which I guess it is.

Adam Saunders · 4 years ago

Great marketing happens when you drop the barriers, forget that marketing is your profession, and focus on connecting with people and letting them know what you or your company are all about. My favorite marketers are artists, the genuine kind, because they are totally into their craft and they just want to tell you about it. Ideally, that's what marketing should be like, even if you are selling insurance.

kevinbriody · 4 years ago

Some great points, and I LOVE seeing some discussion going on (the joys of being Scobleized). :-)



My post really had two points:

1) marketing as an activity does not always equaly marketing the function/career discipline, and some of the best examples of innovative marketing are happening where you least expect it;



2) for those within marketing functions, keep learning from those examples wherever they are, experiment, and break out beyond the core mix, which is waaay too easy to fall back on come plan time.



All that said, I don't mean to rip on marketers at all - being one myself and being deeply impressed by the majority of my peers. So in contrast to "Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department…”, I think you CAN trust us with it, just the onus is on us to adapt, learn, and be a bit different from the norm.