Page 29 - Strategic Marketing Complete

WHAT I'VE LEARNT'

tears 16 years after the inception of they might just have a better chance to inspire people towards greatness.
Joe Public. We didn’t go: “year two, of succeeding. And it can assist brands to play a
drive a Porsche.” more meaningful role in the lives of
My advice to someone wanting the man on the street. Through this
My advice for people wanting to to succeed in marketing: become lens, it is perfectly aligned to my
start their own business: START. product obsessed. The most valuable purpose in life.
I find that people dreaming of company in the world, Apple, is
starting a business tend to overthink product obsessed. In any business, Some of the many books that have
it, instead of letting it run and seeing you’ve got a product and you’ve inspired me include:
what happens, and maybe failing got service, and you need to deliver
quicker. We’d rather over-strategise both to the highest level possible – Time to Think: Listening to Ignite the
and business-plan it to death, which but always product first. Exceptional, Human Mind by Nancy Kline.
creates so much angst and fear that excellent product will create The Art of Possibility by Rosamund
we never actually get out of the sustainable business over time. and Benjamin Zander
starting blocks. Good to Great by Jim Collins
I started one School at a Time
My other piece of advice is – if in 2008. I’m aiming to change Pepe presented ‘Breakthrough
you look at Phil Knight from Nike education... I learnt that some creative advertising and
or Giovanni Ravazotti who runs 22 000 schools in SA are communication’ at the inaugural
one of the best performing shares dysfunctional, so I started with one. Marketing the Future event in
on the stock exchange, the Italtile It’s been ticking now for 11 years: the Johannesburg.
Group – both those men know now results are slow, but significant – the
that it’s not about money. At school Soweto school is today ranked as
now, entrepreneurs are being taught one of the top 3 township schools in Pepe marais, Growing
that the purpose of business is to Gauteng. Greatness: A Journey Towards
make money. I think that’s wrong: if Personal and Business
entrepreneurs know that money is I love advertising. It’s one of the Mastery is published by Tracey
a by-product, and the purpose of few means to counter the negative McDonald Publishers and is
business is something far greater, news out there. It can also be used now available in bookshops.

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