Ad World 2022 – interview with Seth Godin

Check out our take on the Ad World October 2022 and 6 key questions from Seth Godin!

This year’s #AdWorld was fire!?
We were especially thrilled to hear Seth Godin talk about things we resonate with so much within the marketing field. In case you missed it, here’s a sneak peek of the key action points marketing tips worth taking a mental note of.

What is marketing nowadays?

Marketing is not what it used to be, nevertheless, people are still using the term “marketing” for advertising, hustle, or hype. No doubt it used to be those: bringing average stuff to average people.
But a lot of things changed since then, in the last 10, especially 2 years:
It might be hard to swallow, but your consumer knows more about things than you, be it the alternatives, their own feelings or desires, you name it.
Let’s not lie to ourselves. The internet can find someone who can do the thing you say you do, but even cheaper and faster.
Something also worth mentioning is that people are not listening to ads like they used to, because they have so many options and choices to make. Instead of ads, we rather listen to our colleagues, and other people on the internet, what people in the world are saying.
So to answer the question “What is marketing then?” I say: Building a true story that other people want to change because it changes them for the better. They search for stories in which they find some sort of identity.

What part does cancel culture play in marketing?

LeVar Burton says: “It’s not cancel culture, it’s consequence culture.”
The hard truth is: Marketers and Businesses need to realize, they can’t have it both ways: if brands want to have personalities and relationships with their customers, they need to get responsible for their actions.

How do you test and experiment?

Here’s the important thing. If you are measuring and testing in order to make something that will pay for itself in 5 minutes, you are probably measuring and testing the wrong thing. That is just hype and hustle.
Try to test for the long run, How so? Test if what you communicate did change the person who heard or saw it. Very difficult, no doubt about that. But you need to remember: measuring clicks is lazy – maybe you can measure something more important.
Two important things here: Identify how much money you can spend on marketing, then measure how much are you resonating with the customers.

Metaverse, NFT, web 3.0? – where are we and where will we be in the next few years?

You, as a business owner or marketer need to focus on the relationship with people who want to hear from you. New technology is fascinating, of course. But you need to focus first on the now. Earn the attention you need. Do everything in the interest of the people of today.

What would people see in terms of the economy?

Here’s an interesting metaphor: tides and boat – tides go out and go in – build a boat that floats on these tides.
The goal when you want to build a long-lasting success story is to change something for somebody. That simple.
You need to figure out a way to matter, and then you can build on that.

What role do you believe artificial intelligence would play in modern marketing?

We know that it will play a huge role in everything. For us, the better question is: are we treating it as an opportunity and asking, how can we use this to be better? If yes, then we are on the good track.

If you need help to review your company’s marketing activities and boost your communication strategy, feel free to contact us and book a meeting now!