All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World

“We believe what we want to believe, and once we believe something, it becomes a self-fulfilling truth.”

“We drink the can, not the beverage.”

“All marketers are storytellers. Only the losers are liars.”

“If consumers have everything they need, there’s nothing left to buy except stuff that they want. And the reason they buy stuff they want is because of the way it makes them feel.”

“4: Stories let us lie to ourselves. And those lies satisfy our desires.”

“When Pat Holt strings together a list of words not to overuse—“Actually, totally, absolutely, completely, continually, constantly, continuously, literally, really, unfortunately, ironically, incredibly, hopefully, finally”—she’s not being a stickler for formality and grammar. Instead she’s reminding us that words matter, that poor word use is just a red flag for someone who wants to ignore you.”

“Stories (not ideas, not features, not benefits) are what spread from person to person.”

“Ralph Lauren generates a huge portion of its sales from seconds and job lots sold at the many Polo factory stores around the country. There are so many of these stores (and the demand is so high) that many of the items sold aren’t seconds at all. They’re designed and produced for the factory stores. People tell themselves a story about finding a bargain, they build up the expectation by driving thirty miles out of their way (while on vacation, no less) and then are delighted to spend $40 for a $400 jacket that was never intended to be sold for $400 and probably cost $4 to make.”

“Your story is a symphony, not a note.”

“In fact, stories only magnify the need to have something remarkable (and honest) to say.”

“We’d like to believe that efficient, useful, cost-effective products and services are the way to succeed. That hard work is its own reward. Most marketers carry around a worldview that describes themselves as innovators, not storytellers.”

“Let’s start with their slogan, “Fair and Balanced.” While one could argue whether their news is fair and balanced, the slogan itself is brilliant. It flatters the audience, reminds them that they are not a tiny minority and reinforces a message that their worldview is valid and appropriate. “News for Conservatives” is precisely the wrong message. Subtlety makes the story work. By acting as though they represent the majority opinion, they frame their story in a way that this audience understands.”

“Key fact: in 2003 pharmaceutical companies spent more on marketing and sales than they did on research and development. When it comes time to invest, it’s pretty clear that spreading the ideas behind the medicine is more important than inventing the medicine itself.”

“Instead of being scientists, the best marketers are artists.”

“When we recognize the fraud for what it is, we feel incredibly stupid. Something more than our bank accounts is damaged—our egos are damaged. As a result, it’s almost impossible for the marketer to regain our trust.”

“These are all commodity-focused issues. The old conceit of a retailer was that if you offered the right products at a fair price in a convenient location, you’d do fine if you watched your expenses. Today, the issues are totally different.”

“We vote for a presidential candidate without saying, “Why not run the country for a month and then we’ll see . .”

“Everything happens for a reason, doesn’t it? Even if you don’t consciously agree with that statement, your brain sure does.”

“The book didn’t generate anything. All it did was give people a chance to express the biases they had before they even opened the book.”

“Euphemisms may seem like political correctness run amok, but they are actually focused on telling stories that are framed to get past a person’s biases and give the speaker a chance to tell a story.”

“It’s not enough to find a niche that shares a worldview. That niche has to be ready and able to influence a large group of their friends.”

“The reason so many effective solutions take forever to get implemented is that the fear of change is greater than the cost of sticking with what you’ve got. In other words, people wait until they have a heart attack or get diabetes before they go on a diet.”

“A worldview is the lens used to look at every decision a person is asked to make.”

“Marketing is about spreading ideas, and spreading ideas is the single most important output of our civilization.”

“Ninic nu este static. Nimic nu rămâne cum a fost. Tot ceea ce construiești, proiectezi sau comercializezi urmează să schimbe piața.”

“(It’s easier for investors and bosses to spend time and money going after a proven market, even though proven markets are the hardest to break into.)”