Seth Godin, Are you a Linchpin? Do you ship? Are you and your brand an artist?

Last week, digital guru Seth Godin visited Antwerp. Seth Godin, writer of books like Tribes, Purple Cow, Meatball Sundae and his most recent work, Linchpin, took the time to have a personal meeting with some Belgian marketers before he started his speech. Some of the key highlights of the discussion and the speech he gave afterwards:

About the travel industry...

• A business which is completely moved online in the US
• The middle man is vanishing
• big difference between Europe and the US
• and some more ;-)

Are you an artist?

Being an artists starts at being different and having a great idea (a good idea wouldn't work, it's all about going that extra step further). Artists are also those that don't copy, they initiate something new. They dare to be different, stick out their head and yes, will get blamed for it but if there are enough followers, they will bring success.

"They" is relative as it can also be a brand or an organisation. But key is to have followers...one person at the time. Regrouping people that do care about your brand. Those people will have to shift their habits if you want that they follow you.

What about our brands?

Brands have had years to prove how good and innovative they are, but the problem is that they spammed consumers and proved to be followers, rather than artists. Our brands aren't remarkable anymore. It's all about being remarkable and inventing the new. People won't get amazed from seeing a copycat.

Get as far as possible away from...

... activities where we already know what is perfect. (eg. selling "light" water in Japan)

... activities that can be done by a machine or automation : innovate don't imitate

It's sounds like a person's life?

Yes, it's all about people wanting to go that extra mile, being creative, inventing and leading the crowd. It's better to work 5 minutes really hard, than to waste your time with something that can be automated by a machine.

But...

An artist cannot live with giving. In this case, you need to give gifts and thus people will believe in your art and follow your brand. But don't stop at the products or services you offer, go beyond, create an experience...