I have this theory that I haven’t yet published anywhere. I call it ‘The Marketing of Humans’.
And you’ll probably relate to it very much.
The theory has a simple premise – Every person on the earth is continually Marketing themselves. Through their actions, their clothing, their way of walking, their style of talking, their emotions. Everything. Everything they do, they are marketing themselves through it. To the kind of people that would be attracted to them.
And that’s the essence of Marketing at the end – To attract the kind of people who like your work and you.
At it’s core Marketing is nothing more than just ‘Communication’. But it’s not just the communication through Words. It’s also your communication through your Packaging. Through the color scheme of your Brand. Through the wittiness or politeness of your Customer Service. Through the words that other people speak about you (Press). Through the words that people who work with you say (Employees). Through the ideas and values, you project to the World (Advertisements).
That’s really the concept of marketing. And every one of us does it every day. We make friends this way. We find the right partner this way. We find colleagues this way. We find or attract the people that resonate with us – in our ideas, in our behaviour, in our actions.
But sadly most people think of marketing as just a gimmick. Something that is only there for people with money. When really it’s about attracting the right people first, and then the money just gets you more like them.
Let me give you an example.
Have you ever travelled through Indigo? The airline service? They are one of the best I like. And not just because their prices are low. But rather also because of their silly puns which are communicated everywhere through the experience. You’ll find these PUNS on their planes, on the staircase of the planes, on their boarding passes, on their baggage tags, on their website, on the can of peanuts that they sell!
They communicate their weird puns everywhere. Which makes you smile. And their social media handles are just the same. And they attract people like me to give them business again and again.
Another one, is Apple. Ofcourse.
They communicate their love of beautiful design not just by their products, but also by the packaging that they send it in. And the ads they create for their brand. And the stores that they’ve opened throughout the world. And the words they use to describe their products.
From their Ads to their Stores to their Products to their Product Descriptions and even to their Press Releases. Everything is Consistent Communication. All of which comes from their Values.
Just like our way of clothing, speaking, ideas, actions, body language – all originate from our values.
Communication is not just words. It’s everything you do. And you communicate even when you don’t want to.
We are all Marketing ourselves every day. We just didn’t know it.
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