We've gathered four highly entertaining and unlikely videos with valuable marketing lessons to bring levity to your day and remind you of a few modern marketing truths.
This is Broken by Seth Godin
This incredibly endearing, Larry-David-esque speech by Seth Godin delves into the reasons why some things and ideas just don't work. Besides offering the chance to indulge in the absurd humor of everyday frustrations, Godin sheds light on our inherent reactions to poorly designed products and concepts — and reveals why consumer opinions should matter to product designers and marketers alike. In a comic journey through the world of poorly executed ideas and nonsensical products, it becomes clear why it pays to pay attention to the unique values, challenges, lifestyles and experiences of your target audience.
404: The Story of a Page Not Found by Renny Gleeson
In this short and sweet video on the evolution of 404 error pages, Gleeson speaks to the digital user experience — and argues that strong customer relationships are not predicated on perfection, but on our ability to understand and respond to our mistakes.
The Greatest TED Talk Ever Sold by Morgan Spurlock
Humorist and documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (creator of the film Supersize Me) talks about his somewhat rocky attempt to make, "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," in a TED talk aptly titled, "The Greatest TED Talk Ever Sold." True to the satire genre, Spurlock's superficial look at the superficiality of paid advertising is entertaining, but also indicative of popular attitudes and truths about the ad world — truths that, when viewed as a case study, can have instructional value for marketers.
In the talk, Spurlock plays clips of himself interacting with representatives from different brands and asking them to descirbe their unique brand identity. The responses he receives range from cringe-worthy silences to humdrum adjectives — in short, they further the assumption that advertising is surface-level fluff, at best. He asks the same question to the individuals he meets on the street regarding their "personal brand." Although the responses are often humorous, the exercise itself — which asks people to reflect on their values and on how they outwardly represent different internal qualities — is worth emulating at a brand level.
The TED talk serves as a compelling reminder that, especially in today's over-saturated product marketplace people value authenticity, self-awareness, creativity and honesty when fostering relationships with brands as much as they do in human interactions. As a marketer, it's always worth remembering the individual on the other end of your ad campaign — and putting time and thought into understanding their needs, nurturing their trust and adeptly communicating what your company stands for, why you're different and why they should care.
Selling Condoms in the Congo by Amy Lockwood
In a much different vein than Seth Godin's "This is Broken," marketer-turned-international-developer Amy Lockwood uses her marketing background to investigate why condom brands donated by Western relief agencies aren't being used in the Congo, where AIDS levels remain high. In her answer, she discusses why it's important for marketers to understand the perspective of their target audiences and create brand messaging that is consistent with those values. Especially in cases where product branding is aimed at motivating behavioral change, there's no substitute for knowing your audience.
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