Hey Reader,

This isn't the first time I've struggled to write a newsletter. Sometimes the state of the world makes it difficult to talk about marketing. Unfortunately, this likely won't be the last time I struggle to write a newsletter. C'est la vie.

This difficulty is spurred by powerlessness. I wish I could save the world by teaching marketing tactics, but I can't. It is the same powerlessness I feel when a large company makes a decision I don't like. When Adidas discontinued my favorite shoe, I was devastated. When Netflix cracked down on password sharing, I was furious. But my devastation and fury didn't matter to those brands, because I am little more than a drop in their sea of customers.

That said, my devastation and fury didn't go unnoticed. In fact, it was explicitly noticed by everyone around me, and that matters. So, with that in mind, here is a newsletter about marketing, and definitely nothing else.

Accountability by Proxy

I used to be extremely passionate about rock climbing shoes. I worked in the climbing industry and took a special interest in footwear retail. This special interest was born from necessity. I had worn the same brand and style of climbing shoes for nearly a decade, but that brand had just been absorbed by Adidas. The drop in quality was immediate and evident, despite a great deal of marketing advertising the contrary. I wrote my fair share of bad reviews and angry emails, but the comfort I had known for my entire climbing career was gone.

While I couldn't convince Adidas to un-buy the brand or return to its former glory, I knew I had a way to hold them accountable. With fire in my eyes and no shoes on my feet, I set out to learn everything about climbing shoes. Then I got good (and I mean really good) at selling climbing shoes. I became the "Shoe Guy" at the gym which, at the time, was the largest retailer of climbing shoes in town. Suddenly, the place everyone went to buy climbing shoes was staffed by a "Shoe Guy" who was friendly, overeducated, and an A+ hater of Adidas-made shoes.

Did Adidas know I existed? Probably not. Did they feel the impact of a top 50 market hard pivoting away from their shoes? I'd like to think so.

Our impact is often limited to our own sphere of influence, but that doesn't have to limit our power. That's why marketers like me get so horny for testimonials and willing ambassadors. No matter what Adidas's marketing department said, they weren't going to pull the wool over the eyes of my community. I wasn't going to let them, even if I had to measure everyone's feet myself.

Fostering Community

You've got to work to become the "Shoe Guy." Some of that work requires you to take online certification courses created by shoe brands. Some of that work requires you to measure your friends nasty-ass feet by hand. Both equally important, both at a much different cost.

Communities do not thrive without stewardship. If you want to change the shoe preferences of a top 50 market, you've got to handle some upsetting dogs. I've worked with my fair share of clients who desperately want their communities to rally for them. They have so much conviction that, "If my customers would recommend my services to their friends, I'd have all the business I need." I don't disagree, but those clients always fall short on the stewardship of their communities. They're not willing to handle those upsetting dogs, so they don't see their community thrive.

It's hard to hold that against these clients. Handling upsetting dogs can be scary. "Handling upsetting dogs" can be a metaphor for a lot of things. Perhaps, for you, it's writing a newsletter for your customers, creating a loyalty program or committing to a social media strategy. Or maybe it's holding a cell phone and documenting the world around you. who's to say.

We Are All We Have

To summarize, the world is scary and it's difficult to feel powerless. Luckily, we aren't powerless. Our impact to our own communities is felt on a human, personal level. Our communities can only thrive if we're willing to get in their and measure some (metaphorical) feet. And when someone comes around to pull the wool over the eyes of your community, you must do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for it, if only by proxy.

-MC

p.s.

• This newsletter is about marketing ;)
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I met with two new clients last week! I'm super excited to feature their work here and would love to feature yours next. I've got some room in my schedule. Let's find a way to work together!

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