Market Verb Newsletter 22 (Mar 15-Mar 22)

Part 1 — Marketing Tip / Style

Authority Borrowing

Borrow the face of a famous person to promote your product — especially someone who is already saying good things about it.

Personally, I would believe an ad featuring Bill Gates more than one featuring an unknown model.

But choosing the right person matters.

Don’t put Steve Jobs in a gutter advertisement — unless there’s a meaningful connection between the two.

Authority works only when it is relevant.

Part 2 — Brand Story

The Story of Facemash

It started as a small project in a Harvard dorm.

A sophomore named Mark Zuckerberg built a website called Facemash.

The site allowed students to compare pictures of other students. It was funny… and insulting.

The site was quickly taken down.

But Zuckerberg didn’t give up.

He tried again — and that second attempt became the legend of Facebook.

Part 3 — Two Great Books

Branding – Jeff Johnson

Strong brands are built by clearly defining who you are and repeating it consistently everywhere.

How Leaders Learn – David C. Novak

Great leaders stay great by learning faster — from mistakes, feedback, and real-world experience.

Part 4: Two Great Voices

“ If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. ”— David C. Novak, Co-Founder, retired Chairman, and CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc

“People don’t care about what you say; they care about what you build.”— Mark Zuckerberg, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Meta Platforms, Inc

Part 5 — This Week’s Actionable

One-Hour Advice Campaign

For one full day, allow your customers or fans to send you messages or call you with suggestions on how you can improve your product or service.

Listen to each and every suggestion carefully.

After reviewing all of them, choose the best ideas.

Improve. Implement. Rule.