Nov 14, 20194 min read

All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World by Seth Godin

Who should read all marketers are liars?

All marketers are liars, is the perfect read for those who are looking to better understand why story telling and creating meaning stories behind you brand is critical to your success. When marketers present false information to their audience, that essentially make them liars.

When consumers buy a product, and it doesn’t do what is supposed to, they internalize all marketers are liars. How many times have you brought something from Walmart or another retailer, to only find out the product, was damaged in the box, so you return it, and the problem repeats itself, something is missing or damaged, or it doesn’t perform the way is supposed to.

So as consumers we say to ourselves all marketers are liars, even though we know when that new Galaxy or I phone comes out its going to have a lot of glitches, we somehow end up dumbfounded, and in shock when it doesn’t work. So why do we continue to buy such products?

All marketers are liars, accept for the ones who sell me on their brands promise.

Each person has their own value system, Walmart shoppers, don’t mind the bad service or dirty stores, Target shoppers don’t mind the over priced items, and rude service. Their perceptions of each other are different. You can say not so nice things about each group.

The same way Android and IOS users have their back and forth, over which product is best. When in reality both products are mediocre, it is just with form of mediocrity do you prefer, and which mediocre service provider do you want to use the cheap one or the over priced one?

The answer is it depends on which brands you have an affinity for. I worked at Target and faithfully went across the street to Walmart to buy products during my break?

Why?

Because my All marketers are liars alarm went off, every time I set foot in target. The employee discount, was trash, and everything, was literally cheaper at Walmart with no discount. Target made employees get flu shots from their pharmacy, and get Target credit cards, and you were an outcast if you didn’t.

So I chose to be an outcast. We all have similar experiences with one brand or another.

So in order not to view all marketers as liars , we should be bias to one?

Not at all, we like certain brands for different reasons, and hate other brands for others reasons. For example some people like the Iphone, because it was the first phone they ever got, and since they are familiar with it, they will keep buying them.

Some people like that fact that it is considered a luxury item, and want it simply just to be in the in crowd. While some one who is an photographer, loves the phone, because of the crisp pictures.

While an android user can appreciate all of the above and simply hate the iPhone because of its short battery life.

Their are valid reasons for why people will or won’t do business with you, your job is to focus on what draws people in, and build a story around that. Don’t proclaim superior battery life if that is not the case, that will only alienate that crowd.

Instead preach about the features, that are remarkable, at the end of the day retailers, are one and the same, and phone all make calls and handle text messages. Its the story behind the brand which is the reason you give them your hard earned money.

Summary of All marketers are liars

Create stories around the true capabilities of your brand don’t lie, cigarette companies proclaimed they were healthy and didn’t cause cancer,and nestle killed a million babies when they said bottle feeding was better than breast feeding.

While both industries exist still they undoubtedly took some damage, and lost a huge chunk of their audience.

If this is your first Seth Godin book I would have to rank my top 5 as follows: