How I Made it in Marketing Marketing and Brand: Embrace healthy friction (episode #48)
Differentiation is key in marketing. And now with the rise of AI, I can’t help but think – how can I differentiate from generative artificial intelligence?
One way – our unique backgrounds.
An example. Our CEO’s book – The Marketer as Philosopher: 40 Brief Reflections on the Power of Your Value Proposition (https://meclabs.com/course/the-marketer-as-philosopher/). This book is wildly different than what an AI would write. And just as different from most business books you’ll see – which sometimes seem as formulaic as an AI writer. There are reflections, not directions. There are da Vinci-style illustrations illuminating the core concepts. The book is bound in leather. I think Flint McGlaughlin was able to create it because of his unique background – theology and philosophy combined with marketing bound all together in one human being.
I thought of the importance of our unique backgrounds while talking to our latest guest on How I Made It In Marketing. His background was no less unique – West Texas, childhood illness, art school, world travel, Hollywood, and now – marketing.
One of the lessons he shared was “make the work you would like to see.” So, I asked him about how one’s unique background affects and informs that ethos. While we can all learn the same marketing skills, they are powered by this fingerprint that no one else has – our lived experienced.
You can hear his answer to my question, along with many more lesson-filled stories from a colorful career, in the latest episode of the How I Made It In Marketing podcast. Our guest is Justin Herber, CMO and Chief Brand Officer, Tractor Beverage Company (https://drinktractor.com/).
Tractor is the first and only Certified Organic, Non-GMO, full-line beverage solution in food service. It is #216 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies, having grown 2,520% in the past year.
Herber manages a team of 11, along with three agency partners.
Stories (with lessons) about what he made in marketing
Some lessons from Herber that emerged in our discussion:
- Create your own way
- Don't pay for experiences, let experiences pay for you
- Make the work you would like to see
- Pursue the best version of what an idea could be
- Embrace healthy friction
- Own your role in the relationship
- Carefully cultivate and curate
- Don't be a dick
Related content mentioned in this episode
Hard To Stay In Business Against Us: Raising the barrier to entry in the escape room industry (Podcast Episode #12) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/escape-room)
Copywriting: 8 examples of successful marketing copy (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/other/8-examples-of-successful-marketing-copy)
Team Building: Loyalty, relationships, pre-selling, and other keys to marketing management success (Podcast Episode #16) (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/interview/team-building)
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