Marketing Against The Grain How Rationality F’s up your B2B Strategy
Jun 2, 2022
Discover how balancing rationality with emotional appeal can revolutionize your B2B strategy. The hosts discuss the pitfalls of playing it safe and the need for transformational messaging. Learn the critical role of product marketing in startups and the importance of clearly defining market categories. They also tackle common mistakes in pitch decks and emphasize the need for a balanced narrative. Plus, dive into the complexities of audience engagement and how different personas react to various marketing approaches!
37:37
Audience Building
- Most businesses under-obsess about building large audiences, focusing too much on niche targeting.
- Building a large audience offers unforeseen advantages and leverage within your market.
Rationality vs. Disruption
- Many companies prioritize product marketing over broader business strategy, leading to conventional approaches.
- Focus on defining your category, disruption strategy, and the emotional benefits of your brand.
Early Category Definition
- Define your category and mission early on, even before Series A funding.
- This clarifies your goals for employees and customers, easing future growth.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Transforming B2B Marketing Strategies
02:07 • 13min
The Crucial Role of Product Marketing in Startup Strategy
15:29 • 5min
Defining Categories in B2B Startups
20:40 • 3min
Reframing Competitive Narratives in Startups
23:55 • 2min
Balancing B2B Marketing Strategies
25:30 • 12min
Hooked
How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Nir Eyal
In 'Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products', Nir Eyal explains the Hook Model, a four-step process (trigger, action, variable reward, and investment) that successful companies use to create products that users engage with habitually.
The book provides practical insights and actionable steps for building products that capture widespread attention and encourage repeated use without relying on costly advertising.
Eyal draws on his research, consulting experience, and practical knowledge to offer a how-to guide that is accessible and valuable for understanding user behavior and designing engaging products.
The Rational Optimist
How Prosperity Evolves
Matt Ridley
In 'The Rational Optimist', Matt Ridley presents a bold and provocative interpretation of economic history, arguing that the innate human tendency to trade goods and services, along with specialization, is the source of modern human civilization.
The book covers the entire sweep of human history from the Stone Age to the Internet, highlighting how life is improving at an accelerating rate through increased food availability, income, and life span, while disease, child mortality, and violence are decreasing globally.
Ridley emphasizes the role of free trade, individual rights, and innovation in enhancing human prosperity and natural biodiversity despite potential setbacks.
The hard thing about hard things
building a business when there are no easy answers
Ben Horowitz
In this book, Ben Horowitz shares his personal and often humbling experiences in the tech industry to offer essential advice and practical wisdom.
He addresses various hard decisions and challenges that business leaders face, such as firing friends, managing company culture, handling layoffs, and making tough strategic decisions.
Horowitz emphasizes the importance of honesty, resilience, and adaptability in leadership, drawing from his experiences with companies like Loudcloud and Andreessen Horowitz.
Rework
David Heinemeier Hansson
Jason Fried
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson presents a fresh and unconventional approach to business.
The book argues against traditional business practices such as writing business plans, seeking outside investors, and staffing up.
Instead, it advocates for a simpler, more efficient way of doing business, emphasizing the importance of productivity, avoiding unnecessary meetings and paperwork, and ignoring the competition.
The authors draw from their experiences at 37signals (now Basecamp) to provide practical advice and examples that support their counterintuitive ideas.
The book is designed to inspire and provoke readers to rethink their approach to work and entrepreneurship.
Sapiens
A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
This book surveys the history of humankind from the Stone Age to the 21st century, focusing on Homo sapiens.
It divides human history into four major parts: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, the Unification of Humankind, and the Scientific Revolution.
Harari argues that Homo sapiens dominate the world due to their unique ability to cooperate in large numbers through beliefs in imagined realities such as gods, nations, money, and human rights.
The book also examines the impact of human activities on the global ecosystem and speculates on the future of humanity, including the potential for genetic engineering and non-organic life.
Ready Player One
Trivia-on-Books Staff
In 'Ready Player One', Ernest Cline introduces Wade Watts, an 18-year-old living in a dystopian future where people escape their harsh reality through the OASIS, a vast virtual reality world.
The story revolves around Wade's quest to find an Easter egg hidden by the OASIS's creator, James Halliday, which would grant the finder immense wealth and control over the OASIS.
Wade, known as Parzival in the OASIS, must compete against other 'gunters' and the corporate-sponsored Sixers to achieve this goal.
The novel is filled with 1980s pop culture references, adventure, and social commentary, making it a deeply engaging and nostalgic read.
Positioning
The Battle for Your Mind
Al Ries
Jack Trout
This book introduces the concept of positioning as a crucial strategy in marketing.
It explains how to effectively communicate with a skeptical and media-blitzed public by creating a position in the prospect's mind that reflects the company's strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors.
The authors provide valuable case histories and analyses of successful and failed advertising campaigns, emphasizing the importance of simplicity, consistency, and understanding how people think and evaluate information.
The book also discusses strategies such as making and positioning an industry leader, occupying a niche, and repositioning competitors to create a unique market position.
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight
Shoe Dog is a memoir that chronicles the journey of Phil Knight as he builds Nike from its humble beginnings as Blue Ribbon Sports.
The book is a personal and detailed account of Knight's experiences, from his early days selling Japanese running shoes out of the trunk of his car to the global brand Nike is today.
It highlights his relentless work ethic, the challenges he faced, and the key relationships with his partners and employees that were crucial to the company's success.
The memoir also touches on Knight's personal life, including his family and the emotional struggles he encountered along the way.
On Writing
A Memoir of the Craft
Stephen King
This book is both a memoir and a writing guide.
It details Stephen King's life, from his childhood and early writing endeavors to his struggles with addiction and his near-fatal accident in 1999.
The book is divided into sections that cover King's life ('C. V.
'), the nature of writing ('What Writing Is'), writing mechanics ('Toolbox'), his advice on the craft ('On Writing'), and his recovery from the accident ('On Living: A Postscript').
King offers practical tips on writing, including the importance of vocabulary, grammar, and style, as well as the need for consistent writing routines and ruthless editing.
He emphasizes that good writing comes from within, driven by curiosity, wonder, and emotional honesty rather than commercial motives.
Changing World Order
Ray Dalio
Em "Changing World Order", Ray Dalio analisa a história econômica e política global, buscando identificar padrões e ciclos que moldam a ordem mundial.
Ele argumenta que a compreensão desses padrões é crucial para navegar os desafios e oportunidades do cenário internacional.
Dalio apresenta uma perspectiva ampla e interdisciplinar, combinando economia, história e política para explicar as mudanças na ordem mundial.
A obra é uma síntese de suas experiências e reflexões sobre a economia global, oferecendo uma visão única sobre os desafios e oportunidades do século XXI. A obra de Dalio gerou debates e controvérsias, mas continua sendo uma leitura fundamental para entender as complexidades do desenvolvimento humano.
Platform revolution
How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy and How to Make Them Work for You
Geoffrey Parker
This book is the first authoritative, fact-based guide on platform models.
It explains how platforms connect distinct groups, creating value through network effects.
The authors provide strategies for starting and running a successful platform business, identifying prime markets, monetizing networks, and adapting traditional companies to the changing marketplace.
They also address issues of security, regulation, and consumer trust, and explore potential platform revolutions in healthcare, education, and energy.
The new rules of marketing and PR
David Meerman Scott
This book, now in its ninth edition, provides actionable strategies for professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners to communicate with buyers directly and in real-time.
It covers the latest tools and techniques in inbound marketing, content marketing, newsjacking, and social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn.
The book emphasizes the importance of adapting to new technologies, such as generative AI, to maintain a competitive advantage and increase sales.
It offers practical advice on building a strong online presence, engaging audiences, and leveraging new media channels to reach key constituencies and stakeholders.
Direct Mail Copy That Sells
Herschell Gordon Lewis
In 'Direct Mail Copy That Sells', Herschell Gordon Lewis shares his insights and strategies for crafting compelling direct mail copy.
The book provides practical advice on how to create successful direct mail campaigns by focusing on engaging content and persuasive techniques.
How do you balance rationality and irrationality as a business leader? How do you position your company and product to disrupt the market? Kipp and Kieran go on a deep dive on how playing it safe is actually hurting your business, how to know when to hire a head of marketing vs. a product marketer, using emotions to position your product, and more!
Plus, We answer one of YOUR questions. Shoutout to Fanny Kuhn for leaving their review!
Do you want to be the next featured listener question? Leave your questions in the reviews and we may feature you next.
Links Mentioned:
- Loom https://www.loom.com/
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari https://www.ynharari.com/book/sapiens-2/
- The Hard Things About The Hard Things by Ben Horrowitz https://a16z.com/book/the-hard-thing-about-hard-things/
- Hooked by Nir Eyal https://www.nirandfar.com/hooked/
- Rework by Jason Fried https://www.amazon.com/Rework-Jason-Fried/dp/0307463745
- The Platform Revolution https://www.amazon.com/Platform-Revolution-Networked-Markets-Transforming/dp/0393249131
- Stratechery https://stratechery.com/
- Not Boring Newsletter https://www.notboring.co/
- The Hustle Newsletter https://thehustle.co/
- Milk Road Newsletter https://www.milkroad.com/
- Positioning The Battle for your Mind by Al Ries https://www.amazon.com/Positioning-Battle-Your-Al-Ries/dp/0071373586
- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448
- Principles for The Changing World Order by Ray Dalio https://www.amazon.com/Changing-World-Order-Nations-Succeed/dp/1982160276
- Shoe Dog by Phil Knight https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-NIKE/dp/1471146723/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1654105299&sr=1-1
- Direct Mail Copy That Sells by Herschell Gordon Lewis https://www.amazon.com/Direct-Mail-Copy-That-Sells/dp/0132147505/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2544SEVJ4RL7Q&keywords=Direct+Mail+Copy+That+Sells&qid=1654105342&s=books&sprefix=direct+mail+copy+that+sells%2Cstripbooks%2C68&sr=1-3
- On Writing Well by William Zinsser https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-Classic-Guide-Nonfiction/dp/0060891548/ref=sr_1_1?crid=30RQWSPYFT6FV&keywords=on+writing+well&qid=1654105374&s=books&sprefix=on+writing+well%2Cstripbooks%2C78&sr=1-1
- New Rules of Marketing PR by David Meerman Scott https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/books/the-new-rules-of-marketing-and-pr
- The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Optimist-Prosperity-Evolves-P-s/dp/0061452068
- Twitter Blue https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/twitter-blue
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Links:
Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar
Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat
‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Produced by Darren Clarke.