Living in DC, one of the things that you become very used to is the qualifying statement. A huge number of people in this town are either lawyers, politicians or aspiring politicians. For any of these professions, it doesn’t pay to get caught in absolutes. No matter what you believe, every statement must be qualified by some kind of disclaimer. Imagine if marketing messages were like this – having to apologize for their existence before being used. How much credibility would any of them have?
The point is, good marketing means you have to believe what you are saying – and be willing to say it without apology. Making a powerful statement is of paramount importance, even if you have to back off of it later … something Seth Godin clearly understands with the titling of his new book "All Marketers are Liars." Later in the book, he talks about storytelling and how good marketers can fit their stories into an audience’s world view. But the power is in the title. Don’t be afraid of offending someone’s world view, or being everything to everyone. Success goes to those willing to make a stand.
