It was some time back when I was once again stranded at the airport waiting for a delayed flight that I picked up Scott Stratten’s book, ‘UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging.’ (UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging. Stratten, John Wiley & Sons, 2010). I picked it up because of its brown paper style dust cover and the testimonials on the back.
"[INSERT NAME HERE] has written a game changer for [INSERT INDUSTRY HERE]. Drop everything and read this book!"
—Famous author who hasn't read this book
"This author has paid $8,000 to be part of my 'bestselling author program' and he gets a testimonial as part of his fee. This is it."
—Bestselling author who has written a testimonial for every biz book out there
"This book has a great amount of words."
—Fortune 500 CEO who was at an open-bar event with the author and agreed to give testimonial
"This book is the greatest business book in the world, besides mine."
—Author who only gives testimonials to people who give him one in return
Don't Believe Every Book Testimonial You Read
Stratten’s quirky sense of humour was obvious through these bogus testimonials and after a quick scan of the table of contents I was at the counter handing over my hard-earned, hoping for a good read. I was not disappointed.
Stratten takes the reader on a journey that explains how he became the UnMarketing guru. This includes his first video that went viral (http://thetimemovie.com/), how a guy named Wes helped a multi-billion dollar Vegas hotel secure his business while cleaning carpets, and how a girl named Jessica that worked at Lush turned Stratten into a lavender scented fan.
But Stratten doesn’t just limit his analysis to his own personal experiences. He provides excellent commentary and case studies on businesses who are engaging with their customers, and which businesses have some way to go. Company names such as Walmart, McDonalds, Zappo’s, Dominos and Rockport also get a mention with examples certain to get you thinking about your own business.
UnMarketing asserts that traditional marketing methods have lost their impact as digital channels, including social networking, provide companies with better ways to engage directly with customers. Stratten’s message is simple
“Marketing is not a task. Marketing is not a department. Marketing is not a job. Marketing happens every time you engage (or not) with your past, present and potential customers. UnMarketing also takes it one step further – it is any time anyone talks about your company.”
UnMarketing challenges the status quo of marketing and suggests that as marketers we are prone to being hypocritical because we market to others in ways we hate being marketed to ourselves. For example cold-calling, flyers, ads, etc. UnMarketing asks the reader to question current marketing channels and embrace social networking channels as a means for improving your relationship with customers.
If your business is still not sure whether or not social media can help your business, you’ll enjoy this book.
UnMarketing provides useful tips and guides on how to fully leverage social networking to enhance your brand and engage with your customers. Stratten uses a simple and straightforward style to get his message across, which is enhanced by a sharp wit and insights gained through personal experience.
The reader gets useful tips on Google AdWords, being transparent on Twitter and comparisons between the major social networking sites.
Stratten is regarded as somewhat of a digital media authority and a celebrity in his own right on Twitter where he describes himself as “Author, Speaker and kind of a big deal on a fairly irrelevant social media site which inflates my self-importance.” You can (and should) follow him on Twitter: @unmarketing.
One key point Stratten makes about social media is “If you want to build a presence in the social media platform, then you need to be present.” A point worth highlighting given the multitude of Australian corporates that still think having a Facebook page is a social media strategy.
It was only a month or so ago a colleague of mine (Melena) and I were on the phone with Scott discussing his involvement in the 2012 Schmart Marketing Conference programmed for February (http://www.getschmart.com.au/ ). Stratten is an engaging (pardon the pun) and charismatic individual. His passion for life and business comes through in every conversation and the multitude of positive reviews of his presentations and blogs are justified.
In UnMarketing, Stratten claims “Authenticity is everything. It’s not about how many followers you have, but your engagement with them.” In speaking with him, it is obvious he practices what he preaches. His transparency and authenticity comes through and this is why he is such a highly sought after speaker.
UnMarketing is more than a book about marketing and social media tips. If you are looking to take your business and your brand to the next level and build relationships with your customers, then I recommend you buy this book.
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