This Is Marketing
You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn to See
Book Edition Details
Summary
"This Is Marketing (2018) by Seth Godin begins with a provocative premise: the landscape of marketing has dramatically shifted, but our thinking hasn't caught up. Rejecting outdated advertising-centric models, it offers a new philosophy focused on building trust, making a difference, telling compelling stories, and meaningfully connecting with people who genuinely want what you offer."
Introduction
In a world overwhelmed by noise, advertisements, and endless digital interruptions, most marketing efforts fail not because they lack creativity or resources, but because they fundamentally misunderstand what marketing actually is. The traditional approach of mass messaging, aggressive selling, and attention-stealing tactics has not only become ineffective but actively pushes people away. This reality demands a complete rethinking of how we connect with others and create meaningful change. This book presents a revolutionary framework that positions marketing as an act of service rather than manipulation. At its core lies the principle that effective marketing is about understanding people deeply enough to create something they genuinely need, then helping them discover it. The theoretical foundation rests on three interconnected pillars: empathy-driven understanding of human psychology, permission-based relationship building, and the creation of genuine value that spreads naturally through communities. Rather than viewing marketing as a battle for attention, this approach treats it as an opportunity to solve problems, connect like-minded individuals, and make positive change in the world. The framework challenges practitioners to shift from asking "How do I get more customers?" to "What change am I trying to make, and for whom?"
Marketing as Service: Creating Change for Those You Serve
The fundamental reframe that transforms marketing from manipulation to service begins with understanding that all effective marketing is actually change-making. Every successful marketing effort answers a simple question: what change are you seeking to make in the world? This isn't about changing people against their will, but rather about helping them become who they already want to become. The service-oriented marketer acts as a bridge between someone's current state and their desired future state. This theoretical framework rests on the principle that sustainable marketing relationships are built on mutual benefit rather than extraction. When marketers approach their work as servants rather than conquistadors, they naturally develop deeper empathy for their audience's needs, fears, and aspirations. This empathy becomes the foundation for creating products, services, and messages that genuinely help people move forward in their lives. The service approach requires practitioners to honestly examine whether their offering makes people's lives meaningfully better. If someone engages with your work, do they become more capable, more connected, or more fulfilled? The most powerful marketing emerges when the answer is unquestionably yes. This creates a virtuous cycle where satisfied customers become advocates, not because they were incentivized to do so, but because sharing genuinely valuable discoveries is a natural human behavior. Consider how people eagerly recommend life-changing books, restaurants, or experiences to friends. They do this not for personal gain, but because sharing good things with people we care about is inherently rewarding and status-enhancing.
Finding Your Smallest Viable Market and Building Connection
The counterintuitive path to marketing success involves deliberately choosing to serve fewer people rather than trying to reach everyone. The smallest viable market represents the minimum number of people you need to impact to make your work sustainable and meaningful. This approach flies in the face of mass marketing wisdom but reflects the reality of how change actually spreads through communities. By focusing intensely on a specific group of people, marketers can develop profound understanding of what those individuals truly need and want. This deep knowledge allows for the creation of offerings so precisely matched to their worldview and circumstances that the marketing almost does itself. When you truly understand your smallest viable market, you know what stories they tell themselves, what they're afraid of, what they aspire to become, and how they prefer to receive new information. The magic happens when this focused group becomes so enthusiastic about your work that they naturally begin spreading the word to others like them. This organic growth creates what network theorists call positive feedback loops. Each satisfied person in your smallest viable market potentially brings others into the fold, but only if the original experience was genuinely remarkable and worth talking about. This approach requires patience and the confidence to say "it's not for you" to people outside your target market, but it ultimately creates much stronger and more sustainable growth than attempting to appeal to everyone simultaneously. Consider how successful brands like Tesla began with a tiny group of electric car enthusiasts and environmentally conscious early adopters before eventually reaching mainstream markets.
Using Status, Stories and Trust to Drive Forward Motion
Human behavior is fundamentally driven by status considerations and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and where we belong. Effective marketing taps into these deep psychological drivers by helping people achieve the status they desire while aligning with their personal narratives. This isn't about manipulation but rather about understanding the legitimate human need for belonging, recognition, and progress. The framework recognizes two primary status orientations that shape how people make decisions. Some individuals are primarily motivated by dominion - the desire to be better than others, to win, to possess more or achieve higher rankings. Others are driven by affiliation - the need to belong, to be accepted by their tribe, to contribute to something larger than themselves. Neither orientation is superior; they're simply different ways people find meaning and motivation. Successful marketers identify which status drive resonates with their smallest viable market and craft their offerings accordingly. Trust serves as the essential currency that makes status-based marketing ethical and effective. Without genuine trust, any attempt to influence status considerations becomes manipulation. Trust is built through consistency, competence, and care demonstrated over time. It requires showing up regularly with valuable insights, maintaining the same quality standards regardless of audience size, and genuinely caring about the outcome for those you serve. When trust exists, people become willing to take risks, try new things, and recommend your work to others. The combination of clear status understanding and deep trust creates the forward motion that transforms individual customers into communities of advocates who help spread your message organically.
Building Tribes and Sustaining Long-Term Marketing Success
The ultimate expression of service-oriented marketing is the creation of tribes - communities of people who share common values, face similar challenges, and help each other grow. These tribes form naturally around authentic leaders who consistently deliver value and create spaces for connection. The marketer's role shifts from broadcaster to community organizer, facilitating relationships and conversations that benefit everyone involved. Sustainable marketing success requires understanding that tribes need ongoing nurture and fresh energy to maintain their vitality. This means continuously developing new ways to serve community members, introducing novel challenges that help them grow, and creating opportunities for members to connect with and help each other. The most successful tribal leaders act as curators, bringing the most valuable ideas, resources, and opportunities to their community's attention while filtering out noise and distractions. The long-term approach demands patience and genuine commitment to the community's wellbeing rather than just short-term profit extraction. This investment pays dividends through increased member loyalty, more enthusiastic word-of-mouth promotion, and the development of community members into leaders who help expand and strengthen the tribe. The framework recognizes that true marketing success isn't measured just in sales figures but in the positive change created in people's lives and the strength of the community formed around shared values and mutual support.
Summary
True marketing success comes not from interrupting strangers with clever messages, but from creating genuine value for people who share your vision and helping them connect with others on the same journey. This approach transforms marketing from a necessary evil into a generous act of service that benefits everyone involved while building sustainable, meaningful businesses and communities.
By Seth Godin
