Marketing Principles Reference Guide

CORE MARKETING PRINCIPLES
1. Choose Your Enemies Wisely
* Opposite of love isn't hate—it's apathy
* You can't stand FOR something without standing AGAINST something
* Pick an enemy you can actually beat (unlike Pepsi vs. Coke)
* Enemy types: rival brands, industry practices, cultures, emotional states
* People who agree become fans for life; people who don't were never your customers
Application: Define your brand's villain in your messaging. Make it clear and unmistakable.
2. Revenue First, Brand Second
* Marketing's primary goal MUST be revenue generation
* Great marketing IS great branding when done right
* Brand matters, but worthless marketing = marketing that doesn't make money
* Even brands with PR disasters (Wells Fargo) survive if revenue fundamentals are strong
* Marketing = revenue function, NOT creative function
Application: Every campaign needs a clear revenue motive. Ask How does this drive sales? before launch.
3. Know What You're Selling: Transformation vs. Identity
* People only buy 2 things: Transformation or Identity Reinforcement
* Identity reinforcement = luxury brands (Chanel, Rolex, Hermès) - <1% of brands
* Transformation = 99% of brands - moving customers from before state to after state
* Formula: Empathy (before) + Hope (after) = Transformation sales
* Most marketers wrongly copy luxury brand tactics when selling transformation
Application: Clearly articulate the painful before and desirable after states. Position your product as the vehicle between them.
4. It's About the Customer, Stupid
* Inspired by James Carville's It's the economy, stupid campaign strategy
* Businesses are defined by WHO they serve, not WHAT they sell
* Great brands (like Chick-fil-A) could enter any market because they understand their customers
* Stop talking about features, company history, or products—talk about customers
* You can't call yourself a marketer if you haven't talked to 25+ customers
Application: Research first. Talk to customers. Make every piece of marketing customer-centric, not product-centric.
5. Message Over Medium
* Targeting is dead—privacy laws and AI killed micro-targeting
* Most valuable target = the untargeted target reached through messaging
* Mad Men era had it right: right message works on any channel
* AI-generated copy makes it EASIER to stand out with human, compelling messaging
* Master messaging = never be poor
Application: Invest 80% effort in message crafting, 20% in channel selection. Write copy that grabs people by the throat.
6. Don't Propose Marriage on a First Date
* Marketing = business romance
* There's a sequence to human intimacy you can't skip
* Customer journey stages: Notice → Engage → Get contact info → First date → Second date → Proposal
* Trying to close too fast scares prospects away
Application: Map out your customer romance journey. What's your first date offer vs. marriage proposal?
7. Marketing Doesn't Stop When Sale is Made
* Dating shouldn't stop when you're married—same with marketing
* Marketing lubricates the entire assembly line: strangers → friends → customers → raving fans
* Marketing should support sales decks, enablement, AND post-purchase experience
* Don't wham bam thank you ma'am and hand off to sales
Application: Create marketing assets for every stage: awareness, sales support, onboarding, retention, referral.
8. Make Marketing As Long As It Needs to Be (Force = Mass × Acceleration)
* Physics principle: Force = mass × acceleration
* Heavy message + fast delivery = forceful marketing
* Weak message + fast = nothing. Strong message + slow = nothing.
* Attention spans haven't changed—OPTIONS have changed
* People who won't watch 10-min video will binge 18 hours of Netflix
* Problem is never too long—problem is too boring
* Entertainment is the currency that purchases attention
Application: Focus on entertainment value and storytelling, not arbitrary length limits. Be quick AND substantive.
9. Don't Chase Shiny Objects
* New channels pop up constantly (TikTok vs. Clubhouse)
* Simple rule: Follow your customers
* If customers are there → you should be there
* If customers aren't there → don't feel pressured
* Don't jump on trends to look cool to other marketers
Application: Before adopting new platform, ask Are my customers actually here? Not Is this trendy?
10. Under-Promise and Over-Deliver
* Never let marketing write a check your product can't cash
* Secret to success: Market products SO GOOD you can undersell and still blow minds
* Best marketing = having something actually worth talking about
Application: Audit your promises. Can your product exceed them? If not, fix product or adjust promises.
11. Write Offers, Not Slogans
* Slogans win awards; offers make sales
* Nobody pulls out credit card for clever slogans
Application: Every marketing piece needs a clear, compelling offer. What are they getting?
12. Be Willing to Pay for Attention
* Organic vs. paid is a stupid debate—it's like asking cake or ice cream?
* Answer: BOTH (they're better together)
* If product is great and messaging works, pay for visibility
* If word-of-mouth never builds momentum → product problem, not marketing problem
Application: Budget for paid promotion. If you're not willing to pay, your confidence in product/message is the issue.
13. Clarity Beats Cleverness
* If customer has to think twice, you've lost them
* Stop being witty or cute
* Say what you mean, mean what you say, move on
Application: Read copy aloud. If anyone could misunderstand, rewrite simpler.
14. Balance Data with Gut
* Data should rule 9 out of 10 times
* Sometimes trust instincts and do things that can't be tracked
* Some things don't make sense but are right anyway
Application: Let data guide, but don't let it paralyze. Trust judgment on the 10%.
15. Love Your Customer
* If you don't sincerely yearn for customer happiness and success, you won't win
* Empathy = most valuable skill in marketing
* Empathy cannot be taught—you either have it or you don't
Application: Before every campaign, ask Does this serve my customer or just me?

KEY MESSAGING POINTS & QUOTABLE MOMENTS
Power Phrases for Copy:
* Sales can get you to a million, but it's marketing that gets you to 10 million and beyond
* If no one hates your brand, then no one loves it either
* The opposite of love isn't hate, it's apathy
* Choose your enemy and pound them in the face
* Marketing is a revenue function, not a creative function
* Empathy plus hope is the formula for selling transformative products
* It's about the customer, stupid
* Marketing is romance. Romance your customers
* The problem is never too long. The problem is always too boring
* Entertainment is the only currency that can purchase the attention of a too-distracted public
* Never let your marketing write a check your product can't cash
* Clarity beats cleverness
Storytelling Hooks:
* The I knew she was the one dating analogy (don't propose on first date)
* James Carville / Bill Clinton campaign story (customer focus)
* Apple vs. IBM enemy positioning
* Wells Fargo scandal survival (revenue > brand damage)
* Chick-fil-A could open movie theaters (customer definition)

AUDIENCE INSIGHTS
Who This Resonates With:
* Marketers tired of trendy tactics and looking for fundamentals
* Founders/entrepreneurs scaling from $1M to $10M+
* People fighting hustle culture and impostor syndrome
* Businesses that built initial traction through sales, now need marketing systems
* Marketers frustrated with AI-generated mediocre copy
Pain Points Addressed:
* Chasing every new platform/trend without strategy
* Creating brand marketing that doesn't drive revenue
* Proposing big commitments before building relationship
* Treating marketing as creative exercise vs. revenue driver
* Getting distracted by what other marketers think is cool
* Trying to copy luxury brand tactics when selling transformation
Desires:
* Sustainable, scalable growth
* Marketing that actually drives revenue
* Standing out in an AI-saturated content landscape
* Building genuine customer relationships
* Permission to focus on fundamentals over trends

TACTICAL APPROACHES
Research & Customer Understanding:
1. Talk to minimum 25 customers before claiming to understand them
2. Research → Test → Talk → Research more → Test again → Scale
3. Map the transformation journey (before state → after state)
4. Identify your customer's common enemy
Messaging Development:
1. Start with customer pain (empathy) + future vision (hope)
2. Make your enemy crystal clear
3. Write for entertainment, not just information
4. Use storytelling: transformation, triumph, conquering enemies
5. Test message quality before worrying about channels
6. Write copy that makes people say take my money
Customer Journey Mapping:
1. Awareness stage: How will they notice you?
2. Engagement: How will you start conversation?
3. Lead capture: How will you get contact info?
4. Nurture: What's the first date? Second? Third?
5. Conversion: When to propose?
6. Post-purchase: Continue marketing after sale
Channel Strategy:
1. Identify where YOUR customers actually are
2. Don't chase trends just to look current
3. Use both paid and organic (not either/or)
4. Create marketing assets for entire funnel, not just top
Content Creation:
1. Be entertaining first, informative second
2. Length doesn't matter—boring does
3. Quick + substantive = forceful
4. Learn to tell jokes, be funny, create emotional resonance
5. Use stories more than facts

CONTENT ANGLES FOR DIFFERENT FORMATS
Sales Pages:
* Lead with the enemy (what you're fighting against)
* Paint vivid before/after transformation
* Use empathy + hope formula
* Include customer-centric language throughout
* Under-promise but hint at over-delivery
* Clear offer (not just clever copy)
Email Campaigns:
* Welcome series: Build relationship slowly (dating analogy)
* Nurture: Tell transformation stories
* Sales: Focus on empathy for pain + hope for solution
* Post-purchase: Continue romance, build to referral stage
* Use entertaining stories, not just information dumps
Landing Pages:
* Crystal clear on who the enemy is
* Transformation messaging (before → after)
* Speak to customer pain points explicitly
* Clarity over cleverness
* Strong, clear offer
* Customer-centric language (avoid features/company talk)
Social Media:
* Only be on platforms where YOUR customers are
* Use enemy positioning to attract tribe
* Tell entertaining stories (people will watch/read if not boring)
* Focus on message quality since targeting is dead
* Build relationship before asking for sale
Ad Copy:
* Message matters more than targeting now
* Lead with customer pain or enemy
* Be willing to pay for attention if message/product is strong
* Test different enemy positions
* Clarity beats cleverness—be direct
Video Scripts:
* Entertainment value = attention currency
* Don't worry about length—worry about boring
* Use storytelling structure
* Make people laugh when possible
* Clear transformation arc

ACTION ITEMS CHECKLIST
Foundational Work:
[ ] Define your brand's enemy (who/what are you against?)
[ ] Identify if you're selling transformation or identity reinforcement
[ ] Talk to 25+ customers (if you haven't already)
[ ] Map customer before state and after state clearly
[ ] Audit all marketing for customer-centricity vs. product-focus
Messaging Audit:
[ ] Review all copy for clarity vs. cleverness
[ ] Ensure every campaign has clear revenue motive
[ ] Check if marketing writes checks product can cash
[ ] Identify where you're proposing marriage too early
[ ] Add entertainment/story elements to informational content
Strategic Decisions:
[ ] List platforms where YOUR customers actually are
[ ] Decide organic + paid strategy (not either/or)
[ ] Map complete customer journey (awareness → raving fan)
[ ] Create marketing assets for post-sale stages
[ ] Determine budget for paid attention
Ongoing Practice:
[ ] Let data guide 90%, gut guide 10%
[ ] Focus 80% on message, 20% on medium
[ ] Test empathy + hope formula in transformation marketing
[ ] Practice entertaining writing (humor, stories, emotion)
[ ] Ask Does this serve the customer? before every campaign

FINAL NOTE
These principles are timeless because they're based on human psychology, not platform mechanics. They worked 25 years ago, work now, and will work 20 years from now—even (especially) in the AI age. The key differentiator as AI commoditizes basic marketing: genuine customer empathy, entertaining storytelling, and human connection.