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Marketing Principles

The immutable truths. Channels change. Tools evolve. These don't.

Human Nature​

People don't buy products. They buy better versions of themselves.

Identity over utility. A Rolex tells time. So does a phone. The Rolex tells the world who you are.

Emotion first, logic second. Every purchase is emotional. The rational justification comes after. Your wife already decided—she's looking for permission.

Context is product. The same wine tastes better in a heavy glass. The same wait feels shorter with a progress bar. Presentation isn't packaging—it's part of what you sell.

Markets​

All customers differ. All customers change. The segment you mapped last year has moved. Keep listening or get left behind.

All competitors react. Your advantage triggers imitation. Strategy isn't chess against a static board—the pieces fight back.

All resources are finite. You can't be everywhere. Marketing is the discipline of trade-offs. Focus or fail.

Positioning​

Perception is reality. What matters isn't your product's quality—it's the position you hold in the mind. Own a word, own a market.

If you can't be first, change the game. Find the category where you can be number one. If you can't be the biggest, be the most trusted.

The opposite of a good idea can also be a good idea. When everyone zigs, zag. Counterintuitive positions create differentiation.

Communication​

Reach matters. You grow by reaching people who don't know you yet—not by preaching to converts.

Distinctiveness beats differentiation. Be recognizable before being understood. They can't buy what they can't remember.

Consistency compounds. Repeated signals build memory structures. Every rebrand costs years of accumulated recognition.

Creativity starts where logic stops. If the answer is obvious, it's not an advantage. The surprising idea is the defensible idea.

Trust​

Trust is efficiency. Trusted brands sell with less friction, lower acquisition cost, and more word-of-mouth. Distrust makes every transaction expensive.

Complaints are R&D. Negative feedback is signal, not noise. The customer telling you what's wrong is doing free consulting.

Proof earns trust. Trust earns loyalty. Loyalty builds liquidity. Liquidity of positive stories builds goodwill. Goodwill makes the world go around.

The Test​

Before any campaign, answer these:

  1. Who specifically are we talking to?
  2. What do we want them to think?
  3. What do we want them to do?
  4. What do we need to say?
  5. How do we prove it?
  6. How do we reach them?
  7. How do we know if it worked?

If you can't answer these, you're not ready to spend money.

Context​