Here are five things I wish every marketer would realize (and a bonus that will make you feel important)....


1. You are not in charge. You used to be. You used to be able to dictate what people saw or heard or believed. Now, though, with all the choices in the b2b and in the consumer environments, you're just a blip.
2. No one really cares about you. At least not as much as you do.
3. You can't bury the truth. It doesn't make sense to sneak around or to deemphasize the bad stuff. That's a feature. Treat it that way. Consumers of all kinds want to know what you know.
4. People buy stories, not features, and not even benefits. They embrace stories that are authentic, that align with their world view and then, if you're truly lucky, they spread them.
5. Stuff you make (not your factory, you, because you as a marketer are responsible) has a life after it leaves your hands. And more and more, you're going to be held responsible for that life.
And the bonus:
Marketing has more power and impact and reach than it has ever had before. Marketing, more than politics or religion, is changing our world. So, you've got the power you always wanted. Use it wisely!