Key Messages
All Marketers Are Liars: Unlocking the Secrets to Spotting Consumers’ Worldviews and Why People Use Similar Strategies As Frogs
Getting to know marketers is key in understanding how their stories and lies can impact consumer lives for the better or the worse.
To do this, we must tap into consumer worlds and minds – something that marketers can be quite good at.
All Marketers Are Liars examines this field of marketing by providing insight on how they have been creating stories, fibs, and frauds for decades.
It teaches us why it’s important to spot our consumer’s worldviews, to understand why people are drawn to similar strategies as frogs, and where exactly the line lies between fib and fraud.
With these lessons in mind, you’ll be able to get a better grasp of marketers’ tactics – allowing you to make more informed decisions when interacting with them!
The Power of Storytelling in Marketing: How to Reach Customers with the Right Narrative
Marketing success comes down to telling stories.
People don’t buy products or services because of their features; they buy them because of the story that surrounds them.
George Riedel, a tenth-generation glass blower, understands this concept very well.
His company makes glasses and his wine glasses are especially well-loved due to his unique story: he claims wines can be translated through the glass out of which a person drinks it.
This,”message” has resonated with people, to the point where scientific tests can’t even prove there is a difference between Riedel’s glasses and other brands– but yet still customers swear by it!
That is the power of a good story in marketing–it can change human perception and create loyalty to a particular product or brand.
It’s also important for marketers to focus on selling what people want rather than what they need.
For example, think about someone buying an expensive pair of Puma sneakers for $125 despite that these were made in China for only $3; she doesn’t buy them for practical reasons but because she believes wearing these will make her cooler and her life better in some small way.
The idea that she’ll be perceived as “better” was sold along with those shoes!
At the end of the day, effective marketing is all about being able to tell people believable stories they can relate to so they purchase what you’re offering.
We All Have Different Worldviews and Stories Speak to Different Groups
When it comes to telling a story that speaks directly to your customers, you must first understand the worldview that drives their decisions.
Their worldview is influenced by a variety of factors in their life, such as their upbringing, educational experience and the other environments they have been in.
As a marketer, if you want to effectively target an audience, you need to dig deeper into who these people are and what drives them.
By researching your customer’s specific wants, needs and values you can get an understanding of their worldview.
You must identify what unites them as a group and then tell a story that speaks directly to them.
For example, if you’re targeting mothers with newborns or infants then selling products that promise to make the child smarter will likely resonate with the group if it’s framed correctly and backed up with evidence where possible.
Similarly, a bodybuilder may appreciate something that offers up shortcuts towards achieving physical perfection while environmentalists may prefer something they believe can save humanity.
If you take the time to get in touch with your customers’ worldview it can help ensure that when you create content or sell products or services it resonates with them on an emotional level which can lead to higher conversions and sales.
Tell a Story That Aligns with Your Customers’ Worldview to Make Your Product Stand Out
All Marketers Are Liars book emphasizes the importance of developing a story that resonates with your customer’s worldview.
You must begin by gaining an in-depth knowledge and understanding of who they are and what they care about.
This will help you create a narrative that speaks to their mindset and beliefs.
Take Interstate Bakeries for example; when people began to follow the Dr.
Atkins’s low-carb diet, their customers changed the way they thought about products like Twinkies and Wonder Bread and no longer saw them as nutritious snacks for children.
On the other hand, General Mills came up with stories that aligned themselves with this prevailing worldview, making sure to use 100% whole grains in all cereal brands, such as Lucky Charms.
When it comes to creating your own marketing campaign for new products or services, consider your target audience’s opinion before adding in details.
For instance, if you are selling a salty snack you could cater your narrative towards new moms who may be weary of giving their children unhealthy snacks – by using soy instead of potato base and salted by sea salt instead of sodium – while also packaging it differently from other similar snacks.
The key is to let customers know why your product should be chosen over others available on the market based on how it aligns with their particular worldview.
Stories Help People Make Sense of the World by Connecting New Information to What We Already Know
People are programmed to only pay attention to new information and to make sense of it by creating stories.
When people encounter something new, their brains instantly kick into action and try to compare the new information with what’s already out there.
It’s almost like a reflex; humans are like frogs in that sense, paying attention only to changes around them and ignoring anything that doesn’t appear to be different from before.
Take, for example, the way we respond when we first walk into our house: we immediately notice if something has changed or has been moved.
And once our brains recognize the change, they start trying to figure it out – searching for explanations and understanding as to why things have happened the way they did.
This same phenomenon was addressed in an article by The New York Times which focused on people convinced their iPod shuffle feature wasn’t working correctly; despite being random by default, people tend to look for patterns.
This makes storytelling so powerful: it allows us the privilege of making sense of things instead of being overwhelmed by randomness and confusion.
To make sure your story speaks truth, you must ensure its authenticity – because it’s authenticity that makes or breaks a story.
The Power of Authenticity: Crafting a Coherent Brand Story for Maximum Impact
In All Marketers Are Liars, author Seth Godin makes it clear that authenticity is the key to successfully reaching out to customers.
Only authentic stories have the power to make a lasting impression on people, and this means that all aspects of a company’s product and message need to be coherent with each other.
Your customer’s initial contact with your brand might not generate any reaction, but it’s their first impression that counts.
While your logo, location and employees all contribute to a positive first impression, if there is any disconnect between these factors then your story isn’t authentic and you won’t be able to reach out to as many people.
Therefore if you want your marketing efforts to really resonate with customers, it’s essential that you create an authentic and compelling story – one that encompasses all aspects of your company!
The Difference Between Honest Lies and Fraud in Marketing: When to Draw the Line
Marketers should always remember to stay on the right side of the line between fibs and fraud.
While it’s perfectly acceptable, and even advantageous at times, to tell fibs that help create customer experiences, marketers shouldn’t engage in outright lies that could harm their customers.
Take for example George Riedel’s wine glasses.
His story about how his glasses can improve the taste of fine wines certainly isn’t true in the scientific sense.
However it is harmless and even helpful in making a good experience for his customers.
On the other hand, rampant lies that cause real harm to customers and consumers are fraudulent, plain and simple.
An example of this may be Nestlé from a few decades ago when they told their audience that bottle feeding was more beneficial than breastfeeding – an obvious lie which led to tragedy according UNICEF estimates of over a million dead babies.
If they had been honest instead with authentic stories aimed at helping mothers who have difficulty breastfeeding, they would have avoided such a catastrophe while also building long-term rapport within their consumer base.
The moral of the story is: as marketers, try not to cross that thin line between fibs and fraud if you can help it!
Wrap Up
All Marketers Are Liars is a book by Seth Godin, packed full of expert advice on marketing.
The key takeaway from the book is that it’s important to get to know your target audience and craft a story just for them.
Your business must be in line with that story – logo, staff, products – the whole shebang.
A little innocence fibbing here or there may help make the story more attractive, but don’t deceive your customers.
As long as your relationship is meaningful and sincere, you’ll reap the rewards of connecting with people and forging a beneficial relationship for all parties involved.
With this in mind, one final actionable piece of advice from All Marketers Are Liars: tailor your story to a small audience rather than appealing to everyone when possible; your story will be much stronger if it targets a distinct group.
