Creating positive change is a marketing problem as much as anything. We need to be able to express our ideals with clarity and empathy, so that they are understood at an elemental level. In my lifetime, the left has been terrible at this – and political battles are often lost before they even begin.
That's why it's worth examining the phrase, Black Lives Matter. Not only to appreciate its precision and power, but to learn lessons about how to create better messaging for future progressive movements.
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In the coming months, I intend to spend more time on issues like this. My contention that in today's world, We Need Marketing More Than Ever. I've refocused my efforts on unpacking the language in search of clarity around our the ideas we put into the world.
Yes, this counts as marketing. You might be trying to start a small business, release an album, organize a community event, or even find employment. Whatever you are trying to achieve – it's likely to require marketing. Not what we think of as marketing, but instead a careful distillation delivered with empathy and an understanding of who's on the receiving end of the message. Respectful and genuine.
Good ideas rarely catch fire on their own. They have to be well-articulated, battle-tested, honed, and reworked until we get them right. It's challenging work, but it's worth it. And to me, that's the fun part.
As I said a few weeks ago in Now We Know, the culture is ours. We get to create it. Let's focus our efforts, put in the work, and speak up for our ideas. Those who stand against progress have no chance against us once we gain momentum.
I invite you to follow along here in my Patreon community, where I share exclusive episodes and a new experiment with workshopping unfinished works. Could be cool. We'll see.
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Note: The attached audio is Episode 182 of my podcast, Marketing Without the Marketing. Subscribe in your preferred pod player or join me on Patreon to get exclusive episodes not released to the public.
Why Black Lives Matter Is Such a Powerful Slogan