I’ve just started reading Seth Godin’s new book titled “Meatball Sundae“. His analogy is pretty simple (and brilliant). To sum it up, New Marketing - blogs, social media, word of mouth, viral, etc. are like toppings on a Sundae. Add these to a “sweet” organization and you have a winning recipe. Sadly, many brands want to embrace New Marketing without evolving and changing who they are and how they operate.

They are meatballs.

Here’s a short extract from Amazon’s editorial review:

Meatball Sundae is the definitive guide to the fourteen trends no marketer can afford to ignore. It explains what to do about the increasing power of stories, not facts; about shorter and shorter attention spans; and about the new math that says five thousand people who want to hear your message are more valuable than five million who don’t.

The winners aren’t just annoying start-ups run by three teenagers who never had a real job. You’ll also meet older companies that have adapted brilliantly, such as Blendtec, a thirty-year-old blender maker. It now produces “Will it blend?” videos that demolish golf balls, Coke cans, iPhones, and much more. For a few hundred dollars, Blendtec reached more than ten million eager viewers on YouTube.

Godin doesn’t pretend that it’s easy to get your products, marketing messages, and internal systems in sync. But he’ll convince you that it’s worth the effort.

This is really phenomenal stuff… HIGHLY recommended reading! Check it out!

And if you’re not familiar with Seth Godin’s work, be sure to check out his blog - he is a marketing genius.

I’ve just finished reading a fascinating article published by Business Week. It’s about how employees in many major corporations are demanding requesting Mac’s instead of PC’s. Here’s the amazing thing… Since 1997 when Steve Jobs returned to Apple, they’ve avoided the corporate market, choosing to focus all their attention on the consumer market… and the results are staggering. Here’s a short excerpt from the article:

In the March quarter, Mac sales blew away all forecasts, soaring 51% over the previous year, or more than three times the rate for the personal-computer industry. Throw in the iPod and iPhone, and Apple’s total sales have surged from $5.2 billion in fiscal 2002 to $24 billion last year. Its share price has risen 2,300% over the past five years, giving the company a market capitalization, at $154 billion, that tops those of tech giants Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and Intel.

So… sales of $24 billion, without focusing any energy on the corporate market! Market research shows that Apple only holds about 2.19% of the business market share, but in today’s increasingly employee-centric market, corporates will have no choice but to submit and give employees what they want. And when that happens, Stevie’s smile will no doubt be even wider.

Ingenious business strategy or a massive stroke of luck?

Make sure you check out the article: The Mac in the Grey Flannel Suit