Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins

by Mark W. Schaefer

Are you overwhelmed by the breathtaking rate of change in the business world? Are confusing consumer trends, the unrelenting pace of technology, and the breakneck speed of digital marketing making you feel irrelevant and lost? Path-finding author Mark Schaefer provides an achievable and realistic framework to help you stay ahead of the curve by re-imagining marketing in a world where hyper-empowered consumers drive the business results. Marketing Rebellion will teach • How cataclysmic consumer trends are a predictable result of a revolution that started 100 years ago. • Why businesses must be built on human impressions instead of advertising impressions. • The five constant human truths at the heart of successful marketing strategy. • Why customer loyalty is dying and what you need to do about it right now.•How to help your best customers do the marketing for you. • Actionable steps to provide an immediate course-correction for businesses of any size. Through new research, singular insights, and inspiring case studies, this entertaining book challenges your view of what it means to be a marketer today and provides an innovative blueprint for business growth. The Marketing Rebellion is knocking at your door. Are you ready?

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Professional Development, Psychology, Buisness

318 pages, Paperback

Published January 11, 2019

Reviews

[Erin Brenner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Marketing Rebellion is all about putting humanity--relationships--into our marketing. It's about putting the customer first and demonstrating that businesses care. Which is what marketing should be about.

The theory isn't new, though that doesn't mean a book about it is a bad thing. But I have three big problems with this book. First, Schaefer's voice is full-throttle sales talk, which turns me off when you're trying to share ideas with me. It's suspicious because the text isn't overtly trying to sell the reader something, so what is it covertly trying to sell me? It's loud and full of itself. It's not persuasive.

Worse for busy marketers, it's not actionable. The theory is great, but what is the reader supposed to do about it?

Finally, the book is overwritten. Schaefer could make his points with half the words--and they'd be more memorable. The text plods along and takes forever to get to the point. How much time do any of us have to devote to work-related study?

While my first complaint is a personal preference (hey, maybe you like a sales-y voice), the second two affect any reader who's trying to incorporate professional development and industry study into their already overstuffed schedule and come out with something useful. Instead, start with The Cluetrain Manifest . Ask yourself what you need to learn more about and what kind of changes your company would benefit from. Then move on to other works by the authors, and research "relationship marketing" and "content marketing." You'll spend your time more fruitfully.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good insights on how to market without using annoying advertisements. However, this book tended to repeat itself quite a bit.

[Mirek Jasinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this, and then listened to the audiobook, which is preferable. Mark has a pleasant voice and is a good storyteller. He also sounds well at x2 speed, which is a bonus. :)

I happen to agree with his contention that we, as customers, are rebelling against the conventional methods of companies trying to push their products and/or services. I am also fed up with the so-called 'content marketing', where some underpaid youngster is generating daily newsletters with clickbaits. And I agree with him that big corporations are not listening.

There are a lot of examples which will send you pondering about the 'new' marketing function and even though you will not find a simple prescription what to do to achieve success, time invested in reading or listening to this book will be well spent.

[Martijn Reintjes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebel, Rebel.
Rebel for life!

I never liked ads, I don't like to view them and I don't like my money going to shitty platforms like Facebook or Google and what those ads do the the world. So when someone tells me you can do marketing without ads, I'm all ears!

This book showcases many examples of companies that do marketing better.
Only it isn't as easy as just paying for ads is. No it's a whole company culture thing.
Companies who build such a culture are winners (if they survive).
I like to build such a company.

But this book didn't really captivate me.
It was a slow read, although I really liked the message.

So I will spare you the effort to read this book.
Just build your company in an open way, have a clear mission and make sure your product makes the world better.
That's it!

~~~

"Stop doing what customers hate. Get out there and discover what customers love."

[Nabila Navitasari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having this book on my list is something that I didn't regret. It's not really new, but it gave another perspective and aspects on human-centric brands in this digital era. As additional info, this book is delivered in an easy way and has recommendations to former marketing books that made me want to re-read them in the near future.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone else besides me surprised I read this book? To be honest, my daughter is reading it for a work book club, and I grabbed it to see what it was all about, never imagining I would be so captivated that I refused to give the book back to her until I finished it. I found Schaefer's suggestions so intriguing that my daughter chastised me for reading some sections aloud. "Mom, it's my book to read for work; stop telling me about it!" I just couldn't stop myself. (I gave 5 stars for a book about marketing? Who am I?)

Thoroughly researched, Schaefer takes on traditional marketing philosophies and shows how they do not work with today's consumer. I have always believed that word of mouth endorsements are highly effective and I see how social media influencers work their magic. Schaefer examines and explains why these work. Full of research studies, examples from businesses, historical perspectives, and quotations from those in the know, this book is very informative and highly engaging. Schaefer injects just the right amount of humor. I found myself googling some of the videos and companies he discussed (yes, I went down that rabbit hole). I loved learning about the three rebellions in marketing and how these consumer rebellions affected change in advertising (and still are!) and about the companies Schaefer highlights - Lululemon, Chocolonely, Pabst Blue Ribbon (I had to read this one aloud to my husband who wonders why anyone drinks that beer!), Google, Amazon, etc.

Schaefer explains that customers want to control what they experience, be in control of their data, and they want brands to reflect THEIR values. Schaefer gives many examples of businesses who are doing this successfully.

I can see how some of what Schaefer recommends would work in our school, particularly communication and creating a brand.

[Mars Dorian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marketing primer for 2019 and beyond, showing how the role of the customer has shifted.

Spamming your potential clients with PR-spun ads doesn't work anymore according to the author.
The writing style is concise, at times humorous and always full of insights.

This book is geared towards marketers working for (big) companies, so if you're a creative freelancer like me, the value you receive from this might vary.

If you want to learn about the new role of marketing, give this one a read!

(Disclaimer: The author sent me a copy without requests)

[Ashley]

Read for an MBA Marketing Management class.
MBA 6140

[Shannon Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is there a truly good and original marketing book out there anywhere? I don't know but this wasn't it.

[Jack Silverman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was wondering while I was writing this review if Mark Schaefer’s timing for writing this book could be any better? I’m listening to the news in the background and they are talking about political and social turmoil everywhere. Mark is all about defining these new business realities and offering counsel to navigate this new world. Everything as we know it is changing and as Marks states, “the brand is no longer in control, consumers are in control and in the end the “most human company wins.” I can tell you as an advertising professional the changes Mark is writing about are real. There is major disruption going on in our industry and Mark has put a great wrapper on it with his new book, Marketing Rebellion. In all transparency I’ve known Mark for many years and I’ve had several conversations with him. When he hones in on a direction and an gets idea in his head he is the best at flushing it out in a way that almost anyone in business or marketing can understand. In fact IMHO this might be his best book yet. In Marketing Rebellion Mark has identified the gaps that exist as he says it, “between the rapid pulse of the present culture and what my friends in advertising and PR are delivering.” Now in defense of my profession “some” of us have recognized these trends and have been presenting alternative solutions for our clients. Our creative director is a huge believer in making brands more authentic and human centered. Without giving away too much more, chapter 8 in the book presents a “manifesto for human-centered marketing”, worth the price of the book all by itself. It’s a great roadmap/set of guidelines to follow as your company or brand embraces the new world where, the most human company wins. This book is very easy to read and follow and I would whole-heartedly recommend it to any person in business today.

[Iwan Kusworo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marketing has never been my interest. I prefer topics like leadership or self-development for non-fiction books. I always thought that "marketing" equals "selling." And I never see myself as a good salesperson. I tend to be quiet around people, and not trying to be center of attention.

But this book "Marketing Rebellion" by Mark Schaefer (@markwschaefer) has changed my perspective around "marketing," especially in this digital era where customer loyalty is only an illusion.

Schaefer in a brilliant way through his personal experience, brought up this topic by telling the history of marketing in the old days. Also the fight against companies' "lies," "secrets," and "controls," voiced out by customers, which then proven that "customers always win."

Now in this third rebellion, companies are forced to return to Dr. Kotler's definition of marketing, which is a blend of psychology, anthropology and sociology. Starting from this point, Schaefer defined what he called as "Five Constant Human Truths," which states that people want to:

1. Feel loved
2. Belong
3. Protect self-interests
4. Find meaning
5. Be respected

In the end, companies need to let go off their controls over customers in order to be on top of people's mind. People trust people. So it's important to treat customers as human. Their marketing strategy has transformed into a business strategy.

For me, this book is really a page turner. I can relate many things explained here to the reality, and find that everything makes sense. I really enjoyed reading it, and would recommend to all of you.

[Paula Woolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited about this book that I wrote a note to the author to thank him. (I have never done that before with any book!) Rather than rewrite a review here, I thought I'd just post my note to him. I think it captures the level of enthusiasm that I feel.

Dear Mark,

I just wanted to tell you that your book, Marketing Rebellion, changed my life. No, seriously. I have worked in marketing for a long time - I started way back in the day when Facebook was just for college kids. I was knee-deep in it when marketing started going digital. Four years ago I decided I wanted to work for a Fortune 500 company. I loved what I did, but in a company that big you get "niched" and I was a part of building the brand. I completely stepped out of the online lead generation, social media marketing, content marketing (etc.) world. I recently accepted a job in a medium size company and was fully prepared to go back to what I did before because it worked 4 years ago. You know, the "Download my free e-book and then I'll spam you for the rest of your life." and other such tactics that worked back in the day. Somehow, it all just felt...wrong. Creepy, even. I knew in my heart it wasn't the way to go. Your book put the words around what my gut was trying to tell me. I'll be buying your other books now. Thanks for helping me start off on the right foot as I launch back into marketing!

[David Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marketing Rebellion is at the front line of challenging marketers' latest thinking. I don't mean that in a general way, because its author, Mark Schaefer, has a specific approach that's quite valuable to our industry.

He finds academic-quality research (usually tied to a non-changing truth about how humans perceive, think, and behave), connects it to a cutting edge technique marketers have fallen in love with (e.g. marketing automation), and then spotlights disconnects between the two. That would be useful enough, but Schaefer goes several steps farther, providing principles to follow and examples to emulate to address the issues. In short, he fixes the problems you didn't know you have, and in doing so, puts your company ahead of your competitors.

The book also poses what could be the most valuable question marketers should ask as they steer their careers and budgets. Schaefer asks, "what is NOT going to change in the next 10 years?" Our industry is witnessing a Cambrian explosion of marketing technologies. It's not possible to know everything and then reverse engineer the optimal path forward. The best we can do is have a compass pointing in the right direction.

Schaefer's question, and many of the answers he identifies, is the best I've found yet.

[Nurelia Saech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for every marketeer today. I had the opportunity to see Mark present live at an event in Boston sponsored by Jebbit. His presentation touched me. At the time, I was in a role at a CPG company in a group that was leading a marketing technology transformation, and it was all about using technology to develop hyper personalized marketing. At one point I remember telling my manager, we were talking about data and tech but no one was talking about the evolution of our communication quality in this new world. The more human side of it. It stayed in my mind and months after, I switched to a new company were the challenge is more centered around this thought of human marketing and I decided to read this book to explore more Mark’s ideas. It’s a book that will make any marketeer reflect a lot about the challenge we have today and ahead, about the things we are not seeing and the rebellion coming from consumers, already tired from excessive advertising, demanding brands to align more on their ideals rather than just selling them something. Beautiful inspiration Mark, it was a pleasant read, one that I constantly quote among my group. I definitely recommend this read to any marketeer leading mass marketing strategies that will become obsolete for the new consumer.

[Amanda Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book for review.

Digital marketers have been taught to do things in a particular way. Those of us living in Europe had a big shock to our systems in 2018 with the introduction of GDPR. We could no longer sneakily add people to our email list because they wanted an eBook or checklist. We had to start being honest and transparent about what we did.

As we deleted chunks of our email list we learned hard lessons and Marketing Rebellion is there to tell us that those lessons are part of a marketing shift, a shift to more honest, human marketing.

I found myself nodding along as I read the thoughts and ideas in this book. Some of it had crossed my mind, some of it I'd thought of but it all just made sense. According to its author, this is not a manifesto but I think it is a call to action. A pointer for those of us in marketing to go beyond dishonest marketing and win customers and business by being generous, opinionated (when appropriate) humans.

The case studies alone are inspirational to businesses small and large and I'll be taking a lot of what I learned from this book into consultations with my clients. Definitely worth a read for anyone in marketing.

[Tim Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark is a honest writer, he writes about Marketing as it is in 2019. People are pissed off by being bombarded with marketing messages; adverts, cold calls, unsolicited emails. So what do we do? We filter this all out, either by using ad-blockers, just blocking cold callers on our iphones using standard technology or just using standard functionality in email to create rules so we are not bothered anymore. The smart marketers are those that recognize this and do something about it. and this is what Mark covers in his book -- You should be aware that Mark's book is a "why" .... he tells you why this is happening. It is not a "how", that is how you can do something about it. He does offer case studies (they are all B2C examples) of how people are trying to compete with this today, but does not give you a "kit bag" of things to do. The thing that worries me most about the book is I don't think Mark goes far enough. Some of the examples can be argued are still "old school". Anyway a must read for the modern marketer!

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are in the midst of a third marketing rebellion, where consumers are rebelling (for perhaps the final time) against advertising. The first rebellion - in the early twentieth century - brought an end to the lies of the advertising that sold snake-oil and other dubious products. The second came with the internet, bringing an end to the secrets that advertisers had depended on (think MTV VJ turned podcaster Adam Curry saying, "There are no secrets, only information you don't yet have"). The third marketing rebellion that we're in the midst of is bringing an end to control. In this new era, two-thirds of a consumer's purchasing decision involves "human-driven marketing activities like internet reviews, social media conversations, and word-of-mouth recommendations from friends, family, and online experts." Author Mark Schaefer points out: two-thirds of your marketing is not your marketing. Then, he asks: So, what do you do? You forge human connections with your customers. Thus the tagline of his book: "the most human company wins." At FiveFour, we say that your marketing is your customer experience, and most of Schaefer's examples of human-centered marketing are what we would call customer experience. Consumers can see through lies, there are no secrets and businesses are no longer in control of their marketing. They want a human connection with the companies that want their business. Consumers are demanding remarkable customer experiences. And, as previous rebellions have shown, in the end, the consumer always wins.

[Brooke Sellas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Mark Schaefer's books and this book just solidified itself in the top 3 (along with Known and Content Code). While most marketers are clamoring to add more machines to their marketing mix, Mark shows case study after case study about why it's more about the human element than ever. This fact-based look at human-centered marketing should be on every marketer's shelf ... that goes for any brand, business, or business leader.

What I love about Mark's writing style is that he not only gives the story behind the concept, he also provides tactical and practical advice so you can EXECUTE the concepts. So few writers do that. Mark does it because he truly wants his readers to succeed -- the reason I buy and read all of his books!

[LiamReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get the feeling that my enjoyment of this book would have depleted had it not welcomed me to some marketing techniques/lingo I wasn’t already aware of.

There is an array of contradictions throughout, whether that be arguing for the most “human” company while praising the likes of Jeff Bezos in addition to encouraging companies to take more of a stand while using Nike as an example; a company that has helped to define woke marketing where businesses will put up a front of activism while continuing to mistreat their own workers.

The anecdotal evidence also doesn’t help things - I imagine an updated edition with more objective insight would have been a better read though Mark’s style of writing is easy to digest and entertaining.

[Ricardo Urresti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written for marketeers, however, if you're working in any sales position, learn about how companies need to shift from the old style, company-centered marketing to enable and empower customers, that will become company's marketeers, in a world that is more and more relying on peers comments and true customer stories, and looking not for a global influencers, but for that one really close, in the city or neighborhood or in the same professional group. Covered with lots of examples, good and bad ones, provides simple yet powerful suggestions to move your marketing to the next step, joining the marketing rebellion!

[Dan Moyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark really challenges me in his book. A good challenge, which included encouraging stories and examples of this marketing rebellion in action, but definitely challenging to my current way of doing things. Even as we see the rebellion and embrace it, we continue to do what we know. With Mark’s way of laying it all out, there’s hope that we can shrug the shackles of “we’ve always done it this way” and the chains of “get me a dashboard to show ROI right now” and put on the freeing cape of MORE HUMAN MARKETING. A must read for anyone in business today.

[Brandon Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark W. Schaefer’s Marketing Rebellion is, in my opinion, the most important valuable book on the subject. He understands, like few others do, what makes marketing work in today’s world and what does not. With his signature lightness of touch, humor, sincerity - in a word, humanness - he leads us through the maze of the modern marketing world. There is literally not a page of this book that does not engage the reader with invaluable insights and (perhaps even more valuable than the insights) cause new ideas to flow. Read the book. Join the rebellion.

[Susan Malaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marketing Rebellion, and Human Resources

A different take on Mark Schaefer's book, making a company more human applies to more than selling products. I have been trying to revamp our recruiting program to attract candidates and make our company seem more human. This book is full of research, case studies, and proven success stories that will challenge us all to move in a different direction. My Kindle book is full of highlighted sections that I will revisit time and again, and will share with all my HR and marketing friends!

[Evelyn Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I process what I read with pen in hand and it is no surprise that I've several pages of notes from Mark Schaefer's Marketing Rebellion. Mark's kind-but-true tone helps marketers face the reality that traditional approaches like advertising have become obsolete and that automation and big data may do more harm than good if not used correctly. Happily he provides a way forward that is easy to understand and uplifting. While the title seems turbulent, marketers who read his book will find insight, relief and confidence to help course-correct their brand's approach.

[Aneta · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an excellent book and if you are not jaded and tired of marketing, you will feel the second wind of enthusiasm gently pushing you to do great things.

We need more case studies about the value of trust, doing marketing differently, and being more obsessed about customers than about dashboards.

Pair it up with "Trustworthy" by Margot Bloomstein to get more insights into the value of authentic communication and a strong brand core.

[Paige Richards]

I won't rate this as it was a read as a favor to my boss, but I do have a few notes.

I like the message that the old, analytical, non-human centered type of marketing is on the decline. We know this, we as storytellers but also as consumers. We default to suspicion, and this dives in more to that. The message tho that the most human company wins feels very obvious to me, which is maybe an indicator that I was not the demographic for this book.

Second it was repetitive, but that's fine. It was still only 7 hours.

[Lori Greiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where analytics seem to drive about everything, Mark Schaefer encourages us to take a step back. Through thoughtful examples of successful companies, he demonstrates the importance of putting people back into the marketing mix and strive to be more human. He says the most humanistic companies and organizations will be the ones that succeed in the future. An excellent read for marketing professionals look to change things up.

[Stacey Stearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for marketers and business owners. Mark Schaefer describes the latest marketing rebellion, and how human oriented marketing is the new normal. To be successful, companies need to be human. We (the consumer or your audience) wanted to be treated as humans, not as part of some elaborate algorithm. I had a wealth of ideas while reading this book and know I'll be referring back to it in the future as we develop more human marketing.

[Vickie Maris]

Marketing Rebellion is a must-read for anyone interacting with customers today. I have continued to refer to this book in my podcast and presentations. It will cause you to re-think whether or not hiring someone with many years of marketing experience will bring value today. All-things marketing are evolving continually and our customers have way more control over the messages than before. Look for advice from marketers who are avid lifelong learners like author Mark Schaefer!

[Ron Tuch]

This messages needed now more than ever

In a society of increased messaging, futuristic technology, and algorithm, the concepts in this book are becoming increasingly imperative to adapt. In a world where marketing is invisible, the only way to stand out is to connect and be more human. This was very easy to read and it may take some repetition to untrain ourselves from marketing norms that are grossly ineffective today.