Free Newsletter
Recent Articles from John Garvey
Why I take boring marketing personally
People also make strange risk assessments in marketing—especially B2B marketing. In particular, they overestimate the risk of alienating clients by sounding colorful, and they underestimate the opportunity costs of coming across as boring.
Why story-based marketing works
In business—and B2B marketing in particular—we're wrapped up in the nuts and bolts of running our businesses. So we can fall into a very analytical mindset, and it shows up in our marketing. Learn how to tell a good story that brings your marketing to life.
Business storytelling blunders to avoid at all costs, part III
Your clients and stakeholders should be your brand’s heroes. They should be at the center of your stories. Once you’ve considered these questions earnestly and acted on these insights, you will begin to elevate your story-based marketing.
Business storytelling blunders to avoid at all costs, part II
Check out these tips for story-based marketing.
Business storytelling blunders to avoid at all costs, part I
One key culprit for boring company narratives is that few people actually know what constitutes a “story.” This matters more than you think. Here we focus on how to do business storytelling right.
Why you need to know what ad hominem means
The use of ad hominems strains relationships, stifles debate, and often results in poor decisions. They can be as innocent as an overlooked social cue, or as toxic as racism. Ad hominem arguments promote ignorance, contentiousness and social censorship.
4 Refreshingly simple tips to distinguish fact from fiction
In the age of the internet, we are constantly being bombarded by content. But how do you determine what is true and what is not? Start with these four tips to critically asses the content you consume.
5 marketing fundamentals that are completely unchanged in the new times
As if marketing weren’t already challenging enough for so many firms, this tumultuous year may give you the sense that you have to scrap and re-work your entire marketing strategy. But instead of rethinking, start with the basics.
Should you elevate your marketing with humor or play it safe?
While humor might not be right for all marketing campaigns, knowing when and how to use it can be a powerful tool. Humor involves complex, cognitive processes that make your brain do a bunch of work without you realizing it. Here’s how that’s relevant to marketing.
Why your marketing should start a conversation
People quickly tire of having things explained to them. Effective marketing is about starting conversations. Whatever industry you’re in, you must show that you understand the problems and aspirations of your clients. Expertise without taking in perspectives is bunk.
Here’s how sensory language can elevate your marketing
Using storytelling tools like analogy and sensory language, you can help people understand and remember unfamiliar concepts by tying them together with familiar ones. So, make it tasty.
Does your marketing have a case of TMI? Probably.
If you want people to remember your brand message (which is another way of saying, if you want to make money), a basic appreciation for the way working memory functions is helpful.
