Unique new marketing philosophy: Punk Marketing
I came across a post at Bas Brinkman’s navel piercing blog (his writing is delicious, do check it out). It is about the book Punk Marketing Written by TV co-host Richard Laermer (of TLC’s Taking Care of Business) and agency alum Mark Simmons (formerly of Crispin Porter + Bogusky ---looks like they might get Nike?!?). Thanks Bas for the introduction. Here is the Punk Marketing Manifesto:
- Avoid Risk and Die In times of change the greatest risk is to take none at all.
- Why Not Ask ‘Why Not?’ Assumptions are just that. Anything you assume is usually a half-truth or generalizations that once served a useful purpose but now hinders truly creative solutions.
- Take a Strong Stand Trying to be all things to everyone on the planet inevitably results in meaning little of interest to just about anybody.
- Don’t Pander Customers are important but they are not necessarily right.
- Give Up Control Consumers now control brands. Smart marketers recognize this and embrace it rather than fight the powerful truth.
- Expose Yourself A relationship of trust between brand and consumer, like that between two people, is built upon honesty.
- Make Enemies All brands need to position themselves against an alternative.
- Leave Them Wanting More Avoid the temptation to reveal all of your assets at once. Or as the masters have said: You don’t teach them everything you know. You teach them everything they know. Jenn’s comment... I LOVE this one!
- Outthink the Competition Think smarter than the other dude. Do not be led into temptation by the fast buck and don’t try and outspend them.
- Don’t Be Seduced By Technology The media is not the message anymore. The message is the message is the message.
- Know Who You Are If you don’t understand what it is that you are good at you might be tempted to try and be something you are not. Jenn’s comment... fundamental, fundamental fundamental.
- No More Marketing Bullshit Get to the point. Express it clearly and simply. Einstein said — we believe he meant marketers: “Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.” Jenn’s comment... Totally agree, but this seems like it would be hard to do when doing it punk?
- Don’t Let Others Set Your Standards Sorry to tell you this but good no longer means anything while mediocre does more harm than doing nothing.
- Use the Tools Of The Revolution Go write your own Manifesto. Remind yourself of its articles whenever you lack resolve.
This is awesome isn’t it; inventive, irreverent (and so true), just as the punk culture is. So my question is… is Punk Marketing just packaging? Are they riding on the coattails of social media and packaging it as a new marketing approach? From the credibility branding model, this is exactly what they should be doing to package themselves. Leverage the trends, come up with a hook, leverage their reputations and expertise, generate good press (which they have).
Ok to be honest I have not read the book, and I am looking forward to doing so, apparently it is a great read, interesting and funny (you don’t often find that in a marketing book) so once I read it I will comment again. However when I researched the comments looked at reviews as well as what is on their web site it seems the marketing recommendations cover the normal fair (as we all do) but they spend seem to spend a lot of their focus on advertising. What is it about advertising? Is it that sexy throw back to Darren on Bewitched? I think there needs to a new word, or use “marketing” to describe all tactical components (which is all advertising is). Back to Punk Marketing, when asked in an interview about the campaigns that best illustrate Punk Marketing, Laeremer’s answer was:
Laermer: Here’s an example. I’m not a fan of chain restaurants. But I saw a print ad for Outback Steakhouse in USA Today recently. It featured a picture of a red chili pepper with seeds falling out. It looked succulent. The seeds were shaped like boomerangs [the restaurant’s logo]. In tiny letters, there was a line: “Our seeds aren’t shaped like boomerangs, but we thought this was funny.” I would call this punk, because it’s not what you expect from ad copy.
But this ad, while interesting, doesn’t speak to a message (manifesto #10) although it does address manifesto #1. I am likely nit picking here… continually defensive at advertisings entitlement posture of “owning the brand.” It isn’t the ad copy, it isn’t the ad, it is the global marketing approach through the use of multiple cross platform media, direct consumer outreach and internal touch points to the consumer. And more importantly understanding your customers so well that even in experimentation (cite mistakes) you are winning hearts and minds. Granted in that same interview Punk Marketing authors did talk about Apples spamming habits and some of the new online social media winners.
Ok having said all that, here is a recent post from their blog: “Knowing that what you do passes the bullshit test and is meaningful, honest and interesting, plus has some measure of heart, is all it takes to make it in the world of sales, marketing, PR, and all fields of “service.” If your work doesn’t fit the above, please find something else to do.” All I can say to that is: amen!
So I am recommending that we all take the time and read this one and “get punked.”
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