Last year, I almost had a Jerry Maquire moment in terms of the marketing industry. I was fed up with the reputation we marketers were getting but at the same time, I totally understood it. I felt like marketing had lost its way. With the advent of all the new technology and the rush to use it, marketers forgot what was really important. People. I was at my breaking point and questioned whether I even wanted to be a marketer anymore.
A revelation
It was at this point that I came across a book that had just come out in 2019 called Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins by 
Mark Schaefer. I bought the audiobook and listened to it in just a few days. Suddenly, marketing made sense again. I then got the Kindle version and read the book to be sure I hadn’t missed anything.
Mark Schaefer provides more than just marketing theories. All of his work is backed by research. Mark is a globally-recognized speaker, educator, business consultant, and author who blogs at {grow} one of the top marketing blogs of the world. He has worked in global sales, PR, and marketing positions for more than 30 years. He is also the founding host of a podcast that he co-hosts with Brooke Sellas called The Marketing Companion which is among the top one percent of business shows on iTunes.
Rare
I can count on one hand the number of marketing books that I had a profound influence on me. This book falls into this category. So much so that when the pandemic hit, I listened to the audiobook version again to make sure that it held up with the changing circumstances. It does. Now more than ever, it is important that you be real and connect on the human level to survive and succeed.
I could try to explain the book, but I think this video provides enough to get you to interested.
As you can tell from the video, this is a revelation for many, including so many large brands let alone the small businesses in your neighborhood. You might think you are in control of what your brand is by the information you put out there, but really two-thirds of the info being put out is being done by your customers. You’ll never regain full control again. Let that sink in for a minute. Go through the mourning process if you have to, but then you need to accept it. And more than that, you need to embrace it!
How? A real-world, real-time example
Embrace every opportunity you have to talk to your customers. For example, this pandemic has caused many businesses to have to temporarily shut down, or greatly curtail their business if they normally interact with the public. All businesses, but these organizations especially, need to reach out through email marketing and social media more than ever. And not to push products or services, but to check-in with them and let them check-in with you through these media to see how you are doing. What struggles and surprising opportunities have you found as we all travel through this unprecedented event. Be human. Be real.
This doesn’t mean you get on a Facebook Live and bitch about how slow work is or who is to blame. Far from it. You want to encourage people to respond to your FB Live. Ask them how they are doing, let them know what is going on in your world. Maybe you are in the process of changing policies in preparation for when you begin to reopen. Perhaps you have discovered you actually like Zoom meetings instead of dragging people in from other stores or offices. Or maybe you rediscovered that you like to read a book just for pleasure. You want to be relatable.
And don’t be afraid to show your fun side and your empathetic side. Share a funny quarantine meme (keep it clean and non-offensive) that everyone will likely relate to. Thank all the front line workers for what they are doing. Share a story of local police and fire saluting hospital workers. Be human.
Another example
Most business owners are terrified of the occasional bad review. You can’t look at it that way. A bad experience is going to happen. No one is perfect. How you handle the situation is shows just as much, if not more, about a person and company. Respond publicly. Apologize for the poor experience and offer to call the person to discuss how you can make things right. Ask them to private message you their phone number so you can do so. This again shows that you care about each customer experience, that you want to make things right, and that you want to respect the person’s privacy. All very relatable and human reactions.
Bottom line
This book is an easy read and an even easier listen on audiobooks. Mark reads the book himself, and he has a very pleasant way of reading that helps the reader to really grasp the importance of what he is saying. I encourage everyone to listen to and/or read this book. I did both.
It should be noted that I am not compensated in any way for this. And to be honest, I never actually heard of Mark Schaefer before I fell upon this book. Now, clearly, I am a raving fan! Be sure to follow his podcast with Brooke Sellas too, it is fun, it is informative, it is human.