A Radical Approach to Marketing with Gareth Kay

Are you are a radical marketer? Do you even want to be one? According to Gareth Kay of Zeus Jones, being radical is about solving the problem at its root cause; getting at the real, fundamental problem. And sometimes most times, that does not include throwing ads at the problem.

Gareth Kay of Zeus Jones talks radical marketing

Gareth Kay of Zeus Jones

Some sobering stats for the creative marketer:

  • Only 8% of Americans see a real difference in the advertising of competing brands.
  • Most Americans would be happy if four out of five brands disappeared tomorrow.
  • 5% of Americans believe that brands make a noticeable, positive contribution to their lives.

Brands are not as different or as creative as they believe. Kay thinks this is because of our narcissistic, creative approach to marketing. The different approach, he suggests, is a radical, hacker approach. One where marketers are no longer confined to their silo, but instead have a seat at the operations table where they can solve problems rather than create ads.

Guest: Gareth Kay of Zeus Jones
H
ost: Jay Ehret of TheMarketingSpot.com

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Show Notes – A Radical Approach to Marketing

Radical Marketing: Solving problems at their root cause, by focusing on the fundamental problem.

Gareth Kay’s Radicalist Manifesto

  1. Be obsessed with the outcome we create rather than the output we make.“Be more obsessed with making hacks rather than making ads.” A hack is the most ingenious and effective solution to a problem.”
  2. Leave the quest for perfection behind. Experiment, put it out in the world, and then learn.
    “We don’t go on because we’re ready. We go on because it’s 11:30.”
    ~ Lorne Michaels, Producer of Saturday Night Live
  3. Make sure you put people first.
    Not just consumers, but real human beings. Think about people’s lives: What are they like? What are some of the things they love and find painful? What is the role your brand can play in making life just a little better?

Selected Quotes from Gareth Kay

“I really think that perhaps a better definition of a CMO would be Chief Growth Officer.  So really their job is to think about how they can best grow a business, and how can they do that through creating demand.”

“There’s a risk of ‘short-termism’ and really focusing on quarterly results, rather than building what should happen in the long term,  and is perhaps damaging to brand building.”

“We’ve hit the innovator’s dilemma. We are finding imaginative new ways to do what we’ve always done before, rather than looking for new ways to apply our skills and talents to generate real, new commercial ideas.”

Show Links:

Watch Gareth’s presentation at BOLO 2013: A Time For True Radicals (opens video in new tab)
Gareth Kay Opens San Francisco Office of Zeus Jones
Gareth Kay on Twitter

BOLO Digital Marketing Conference