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Seth Godin’s Got Sweet Spot Marketing Wrong

I’m a contrarian jerk sometimes. So when I read Seth Godin’s (who I’m a long time fan of, btw) article about Sweet Spot Marketing tonite, my hackles were raised. In it, Seth opines:

“Bloggers around the world are discovering that it’s cheaper and faster and more effective to build their own media channel than it is to waste time arguing with the old ones. So I guess my advice would be to either build your product and network along the way to align with exactly what the middlemen want… or reject them and live/thrive without them.” [from Seth Godin]

Seth’s point is that we shouldn’t bother trying to find the “sweet spot” to get traditional media channel coverage (i.e.: tailoring your subject matter and publisher selection to get in the NYT book review, on Oprah, or whathaveyou).

IMHO: The concept of sweet spot marketing hasn’t changed, just the sweet spots. Yup, its true - if you’re seeking controlled growth (i.e.: a sustainable living, as opposed to accidental success or a flash in the pan), you’re still going to be looking for the sweet spot. 15 years ago, you tried to get your product/article/whatever in your local paper on on the radio morning show; now you’re tailoring your headlines to be Diggable, or writing tub thumping info-war missives to get on Boing Boing. Same difference.

The arbiters of popularity and success may be changing, but success and popularity will always (to a degree) have arbiters. Few and far between are those who can truly refuse to play the game and enjoy success.

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