We are dedicated to the radical proposition that there are Fundamental
Dynamics underlying the social sciences of marketing, opinion influence and
public relations, and that those dynamics have not been overthrown—nor are they
likely to be any time soon. Just because
these fundamentals have not all been discovered, documented, perfected, adopted
and widely acclaimed does not mean they don't exist. It just means we have work to do.
I have selected these first six Fundamental Dynamics in part
as examples because they’re ideas that are: well documented, researched and
convincingly argued by their creators; widely known and understood; popularly
accepted by marketing experts and professionals; not subject to much serious
dispute; and last but not least, actually fundamental in my view. Although they may not be scientifically proven, the anecdotal evidence for these is overwhelming, so they are proven at least in practice.
I don't think you can upset these particular apple carts in the next say 50 years.
I call this list "Alpha" because it's not meant not be comprehensive. It's only a start. The purpose here is to hold these first six Fundamental Dynamics up to public scrutiny, and see how they fare, and then to start adding to them. That’s when the real fun begins.
I hope everyone interested in these ideas will join in. And thanks.
FD-1 Markets are conversations. Therefore two-way, interactive forms of communication that support conversations are vastly better and more effective than one-way, broadcast style forms.
[Cluetrain Manifesto, 1999]
FD-2 Marketers need permission, because consumers (or B2B customers) will no longer accept constant, unwanted interruptions in the form of advertising.
[Permission Marketing, 1999]
FD-3 Start-ups must cross the chasm in order for their product or service to reach commercial critical mass. It's difficult to survive the transition (a "chasm") from early adoption to widespread market acceptance because these two customer sets often have little in common.
[Crossing the Chasm, 1992]
FD-4 Positioning is a battle for the mind. The strongest attribute a brand, company or organization can have is ownership of a single word in the consumer's (B2B customer's) mind. (Examples: Fedex = overnight, Volvo = safety, Klennex = tissue, Xerox = copies, etc.)
[Positioning, 1980, Ries & Trout] Also, [The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, 1998, Ries & Ries]
FD-5 A brand or community ("tribe") becomes stronger when you narrow its focus. First applied to brands by Al Ries, later applied to communities of interest by Seth Godin. (Corollary: brands/communities that are extended/expanded are weakened.)
[The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, 1998, Ries & Ries] Also, [Tribes, 2008, Seth Godin]
FD-6 If markets are conversations (FD-1), then People will no longer agree to be treated by marketers as anything but individuals. The conversation must be 1-to-1. Mass markets cannot support personal conversations. Mass personalization technology (and the Internet) can.
[The One-to-One Future, 1993]
(Wherever possible we have credited those whom we believe are the original sources/authors. We will make every effort to publish only accurate source and attribution information, and will make corrections promptly as warranted. The bibliography appears below.)
Levine, F., Locke, C., Searls, D. & Weinberger, D. (1999). The Cluetrain Manifesto. The End of Business as Usual. New York: Cluetrain. Alternative URL: http://www.cluetrain.com/book/
Godin, Seth. (1999). Permission marketing: turning strangers into friends, and friends into customers. New York: Simon & Schuster. URL: http://sethgodin.com/sg/books.asp
Moore, Geoffrey A. (1991). Crossing the Chasm. New York: HarperBusiness, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.
Ries, Al & Trout, Jack. Positioning, the battle for your mind. (1980, 2001). New York: HarperBusiness, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.
Ries, Al & Ries, Laura. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. (1998). New York: HarperBusiness, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.
Godin, Seth. (2008). Tribes, we need you to lead us. New York: Penguin Group. URL: http://sethgodin.com/sg/books.asp
Peppers, Don & Rogers, Martha, Ph.D. The One-to-One Future, Building relationships one customer at a time. (1993). New York: Doubleday.
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