Seth sheds light on the subject of change.

Well, Deb and I have just spent a week in Hastings on Hudson near NYC with one of the world’s leading marketers Seth Godin.

Tim and Seth
Seth and Tim

Deb and I were lucky enough to be invited to join Seth and about 60 other Company Directors from all over the world, The Product Marketing Company was the only UK based business represented at the event.

The range of businesses and markets covered every sector including Publishing, Engineering, Ecommerce, Retail, Music, Charity and non-profit, Online Search engines, Financial and so it went on.

The amazing fact that resonated with us all was the shift in our businesses and how things that once worked are not working any more.  Over the week, Seth explained that this was not due to the financial collapse of 2008 but more to do with how the internet and the new online revolution is changing how consumers respond.

The opportunities that this shift is creating are immense, but the way way most businesses will fail to recognise and react to these changes will lead to long term struggle and failure.

It was extraordinary spending time with an executive from a record label as he explained how a whole industry has disappeared – everyone in the room could see the same tell-tale signs.

And then, from out of the doom and gloom came Seth Godin.  Internationally recognised as one of the top 50 creative minds of all time, a luminary who succinctly responds to each individual worry raised, pointing out the upside of each situation.

Seth is not only one of smartest people we have ever had the pleasure of meeting, but he is one of the most measured and generous. I would recommend wholeheartedly that you follow his blog to get a taste of his irrepressible spirit.

During our amazing week, we met some incredible people who all had the heart to share their problems, dreams and experiences.  It was an intense week of learning with real life experiences being used to explain how we can in fact make real change for the better.

Deb and I have returned to the UK with our very own 'road map'.  In time, we aim to publish and share all we have learnt to help our customers and those interested in responding to change, and we look forward to seeing where the road takes us all.

 

Day Two - Deb and Tim's adventures in New York with Seth

The thing about spending three days with like-minded individuals in an environment designed to make you consider all aspects of your business, is that you spend a lot of time thinking about your business!

70 people drawn from all over the world and at the start of this three day event, the one thing we all had in common was that we subscribed to Seth Godin's blog. It was through the blog that we were invited to New York to meet with him in person.

And so, for two days now, that's where we've been. It has been insightful listening to Seth, but an unexpected benefit of these sessions has been just how much we have learned from each other. Business owners based as far apart as the Bahamas and Gozo have had different but equally valid contributions to make. Everything we have gleaned will make a significant difference to the way Tim and I look at the future of creative marketing for The Product Marketing Company.

Evaluating your business and the way you do things can be a sobering exercise, but a crucial one, and in our case it has been extremely positive. Stripped back to the basics, it has been satisfying to be reminded that our business has a sound foundation, we turn out a quality product and the importance we place on the values of integrity and honesty are probably more valuable now than ever before.

Even more refreshing is that in three days, we have not only made strong business links, but also good friends - the incredible people we've met during this time are for life, not just for Christmas!

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?"

These are the opening words of Seth Godin's latest book - Poke the Box - and this was the reason that Tim and I seized the opportunity to fly to upstate New York to meet with him. We and 68 others from around the globe were fortunate enough to be invited to share and learn from him in his home town, Hastings-on-Hudson.

Seth Godin is an entrepreneur, author and one of the most influential business bloggers in the world.  He offers invaluable insight into the simple notion that in this day and age the way we market to our audience has to change. The formula of interrupting lots of people to tell them about your product or service (e.g. TV, radio, press and so on) simply isn't working any more.

These days, your customer has more choice - the internet revolution has given them the means to search out a supplier or a product.  What Godin maintains is that now the job of marketers is to create something remarkable so that your product or service stands out from the crowd.  In essence to create a 'pre-story', something that will ensure your customer chooses you over the masses of competition that exists. The revolution is not finding customers for your product BUT finding products for your customer!

And  so there you have it!  A very rainy day in Hastings saw 70 of us listen to Seth and share hopes, ideas and frustrations with each other.

Hastings-on-Hudson
Tim Gale and the Hudson River

The trick will be to listen and process the information and then to turn that into action and results for The Product Marketing Company.  It's a challenge both Tim and I look forward to!