10+ Years Later, Clue Unglues
The Cluetrain Manifesto 10th Anniversary Edition was written by Rick Levine (@ricklevine), Christopher Locke (@clockerb), Doc Searls (@dsearls), David Weinberger.
For those of you who never read it, let’s cut to the chase…
Blame it on us for actually waiting a year after this anniversary edition was released. Also scold us for not reading the original eleven years ago. But the newer edition is a disappointment.
Not because the original 95 Theses have been taken for granted or have completely lost their relevance.
Rather, it is because the first 70 pages of the book are a self-congratulatory, rambling introductory by each of the four authors which sets the tone for the rest of the book and tarnishes the original genius behind the innovative, valuable thoughts.
One critique of the original manifesto – Yes, markets are conversations, and inherently no longer one-sided. But the “command and control” aspect of running a marketing organization should not go away. If anything, the Internet now makes Marketing more asymmetrical – so much data is unpredictably pinging around the world in both structured and unstructured formats. And despite those that don’t like referring to “targets,” “capturing” customers, and other war-like phrases in the business world, Marketers need to use web-based technologies to gather, store, analyze, share and act upon data that originates with conversations and fosters even more conversations especially since they are obviously in competition with other organizations. Such an asymmetrical “battlespace” for market share requires an organization that can process data and get it in the right hands of the right people at the right time.
Especially in the B2B Marketing world, where many marketing, sales, and their customers face unstable work environments, a command and control mindset will help retain the data necessary to fuel the conversations and relationships that occur between humans that buy and sell.
Why link to Amazon if we’re not recommending the book? Hey, we’re not going to deprive you of your own free choice; and we don’t want to dwell on the negative; moving ahead with a positive attitude towards The Cluetrain Manifesto’s teachings will serve your business well; however, don’t waste your time with the later edition of the book. Get a copy of the original for your professional library. Its content is still very fresh.
What is your experience reading either the original or later edition?