It’s been five years since Seth Godin’s Small is the New Big was first published and it’s still as relevant now as when it rolled off the press. Seth’s philosophy is that due to changes in the way things are made and talked about, being big is no longer an advantage. My take on this is that ‘thinking small’, then taking it big, is a great approach for brands and marketers to engage consumers with more authentic and effective marketing stories. Some of Seth’s words from the ‘New Rules, New Winners’ foreword:
Consumers have more power than ever before. Treating them like they don’t matter doesn’t work. Multiple channels of information mean that it’s almost impossible to live a lie. Authentic stories spread and last. The ability to change fast is the single best asset in a world that’s changing fast. Blogs matter. If you want to grow, you’ll need to touch the information-hungry, idea-sharing people who read (and write) them.
Seth’s classic 2003 TED talk on spreading ideas undoes a few typical marketing approaches and evaluates interruption vs being remarkable.
