All Marketers Are Liars

By: Seth Godin

Narrated by: Seth Godin

Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

Every marketer tells a story. And if they do it right, we believe them. We believe that wine tastes better in a $20 glass than a $1 glass. We believe that an $80,000 Porsche Cayenne is vastly superior to a $36,000 VW Touareg, which is virtually the same car. We believe that $225 Pumas will make our feet feel better, and look cooler, than $20 no-names... and believing it makes it true.

Successful marketers don't talk about features or even benefits. Instead, they tell a story. A story we want to believe.

This is a book about doing what consumers demand; painting vivid pictures that they choose to believe. Every organization, from nonprofits to car companies, from political campaigns to wineglass blowers, must understand that the rules have changed (again). In an economy where the richest have an infinite number of choices (and no time to make them), every organization is a marketer and all marketing is about telling stories.

Marketers succeed when they tell us a story that fits our worldview, a story that we intuitively embrace and then share with our friends. Think of the Dyson vacuum cleaner or the iPod.

But beware: If your stories are inauthentic, you cross the line from fib to fraud. Marketers fail when they are selfish and scurrilous, when they abuse the tools of their trade and make the world worse. That's a lesson learned the hard way by telemarketers and Marlboro.

This is a powerful book for anyone who wants to create things people truly want as opposed to commodities that people merely need.

©2005 Seth Godin (P)2005 Audible, Inc.

dont be offended

It seems some people were offended by the message of this program. Probably because the book exposes how a good story can make you really believe and commit to something whether the story is true or not. The book says that once we decide to believe a story that our brains will do anything to continue to believe it. The book goes on with examples of how and why stories have worked and spread. I have a feeling that the low scoring people were somehow offended due to their own personal beliefs that Seth must have commented on. I only give it a four because its not a complete marketing program. The message is excellent and very revealing.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

The essense of marketing has been defined.

This is a must be read before writing your next marketing plan or investing in any marketing activities. With this simple, practical wisdom you will gain greater results.

Seth has presented a clear, coherent definition of the core of what marketing is all about. All great marketing is based on the principle Seth explains with such clarity and simplicity: telling stories.

There is no preaching in this book. It is a story about marketing. All good stories comes from the heart. As Seth explains your story in all your marketing must be authentic. Hearing Seth tell his story about marketing you realise just how much he understands the importance of the subject to all marketers. When people express things with such authenticity it can easily be misread as preaching.

A good companion to fully understanding this very important basis of marketing in greater detail I would suggest you also listen to, "The 4 Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz also available here at Audible.

Another Audible book that touches on this subject, and is fiction, is "Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit" by Daniel Quinn

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Must Read

We own the oldest advertising firm in our market. This book is so good that we are thinking about giving it as a gift to our clients at the end of the year.

15 of 18 people found this review helpful

Just OK for me.

Interesting book. For me, it basically just emphasized the importance of story telling and how the story needs to be consistent to the company's product/service, vision, mission and core values.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Great Tips on Marketing Communications

Seth offers some very useful insight into what works in marketing communications today and offers some good advice for getting customers to notice your product. It's all about experience and what they believe, not truth or facts or features and benefits. I've used his ideas successfully to structure some recent marketing campaigns.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

A must read

I'm on the third listen of this, and I'd imagine I'll listen to it a few more times to internalize the depth of what he is saying. As a dyed in the wool conservative, Seth really does show his colors, but also gives credit where credit is due, for both parties. In fact, I found them very relevant and helpful in a modern context of how to "tell a story".

he goes through the early days, to the "golden age" of marketing, and the modern changes and power of marketing and "telling a story".

I'm ordering the rest of his books. It's changed my mindset about marketing. This audiobook spawned what I think are going to be very profitable ideas and approaches to marketing. Time will tell, but overall a great insight.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Godin Wisdom Reigns

Where does All Marketers Are Liars rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

All Marketers Are Liars is great book and definitely worth a listen. Seth's reading style is little dry and mundane, so a voice actor/ professional narrator would have been nice. However, if you have listened to his other stuff and that didn't bother you, this is very much the same. Compared to other choices, I might have held off a bit longer on this one, but it is still a very solid choice overall.

What other book might you compare All Marketers Are Liars to and why?

I would definitely say that this book holds true to Seth's series of books, and I would compare it to those first off. It is reminiscent of most business books of the same genre. I would compare it to Good to Great by Jim Collins or maybe The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber.

Did Seth Godin do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

While there are not characters per se, Seth does do a good job in describing people from examples and from real life.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The story that sold a thousands ships.

Any additional comments?

The information is invaluable. The psychology behind storytelling and how it relates to the sale and perception of products/services should not be missed.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Rivetting Listen - highly thought provoking

Only downside was hearing Seth "reading" his book - would have loved to hear him deliver it more impromptu. If you can forgive this - the creator of the "Purple Cow" brings a highly provocative and yet totally logical idea. Swap out "Liars" for "Storytellers", and you've got the story line. Have listened to it twice, will listen another couple of times at least and brainstorm further. Very stimulating.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great Marketing book

I am a big fan of Seth's work, but he always surprises me.
I was curious about the title and the subject and he manages to surprise me in a delightful way. He narrates in such a way that you feel like he's talking to you, this making everything even better.

Life changing book. Marketing and Human Nature

This book is a must read and explains SOOO much about our world. After reading this book your eyes will be opened to your own world view and how it affects your interactions with everything and everyone around you.

Good for new ideas in Marketing!

From the title of this book you that Seth Godin is telling you to lie as a marketer but he's not, he's merely telling you to use personal interest stories in your marketing. That testimonials and good stories about the product really do make a difference to your bottom. If you look at story telling throughout time, people always exaggerate and add little bits on but it is these exaggerations and add ons that make a story memorable. Being memorable is what you have to do

The only thing I would take away from this book is that the key ideas are heavily repeated. It is however extremely well written. If you haven't read any new ideas on marketing I would suggest all of Seth Godin's books as a basis and use his recommended reading for further study.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

great thought provoking book for any marketing pro

A brilliant book that make should think about using more story telling within your campaigns.

Absolute must read for any marketing professional

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Very good

Seth's performance is accomplished and personable.
The examples are relevant and point to the main theme of the book.
The only reason this isn't a 5-star is that I got a bit of example overload, the point was well made and I didn't think a few towards the end - or perhaps the middle, were needed.

Very informative but...

...it could have been extended with more details about how certain stories were constructed giving more of an in-depth look at marketing campaigns.

Another excellent book by seth.

This is easily his best book since purple cow.

Quite a few of the other books have some excellent points.

But this overall book or story, Is a must read.

Useful, but

Seth takes one idea and and describes it in too many words, so it takes the whole book. A small one. There are some great examples though.

The book that all marketers need to know

Hello my name Dan quay, I spent a week listening to this audio book, it has certainly helped move on forward, what made this book interesting, the interesting, stories about marketing, getting the best price for your money, I really enjoyed listening the guys voice, positive upbeat, certainly helped get me out of bed in the morning...

He has captivated a world and understanding of the outside world of marketing, he was expressing his opinions which I loved, which I gave 5 stars for.

Want another view on and perspective on why marketers are not liars, just seeking of what they can get for their money, buy the book to get clear minds view..his audio books are also very inspiring. Thanks for writing the audio and taking the time, keep up the great work.

Worth listening even for non-marketers

This is a book worthwhile to listen to. Even if you are not a marketer you will benefit to understand their strategies to resist temptation and avoid traps. You can also get inspired from some of the strategies in your personal life such as applying for jobs.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

great book very interesting world view

found the book very interesting targeting then right people with the right story that really connect with they already established world view very powerful

very good

really makes you think. I've enjoyed this book very much. I will be ready other books by this author too.