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 [/amazon]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?
Joe I gotta agree – somebody has got to manage things – even when the things are inherently unmanageable.
Thanks Dennis,
A new breed of marketer is needed to deal with data, analytics, and working in an “asymmetrical” environment where there is much unpredictability and turnover. While the transformation will be difficult, companies that are better prepared to gather, process, and share relevant data are more likely to succeed than those that do not. A command and control mindset and infrastructure is still very important.
Regarding your last point – you might find this relevant; I wrote it about projects but it seems relevant:
“Getting Real about Project Management, Collaboration, and Communication”
http://www.ddmcd.com/getting.html
Have a great holiday!
- Dennis
Dennis, thank you for the input. Executive buy-in and enforcement of their IT investment is essential. It’s a shame to see great tools go to waste because: A. Less than enthusiastic workers would not/could not adapt to the “change” in how work was supposed to be done; and B: Management really didn’t have the commitment or backbone to enforce its own rules.
Whether these tools are for HR people, Marketers, or field support personnel, it is imperative that people understand that the group benefits from collaboration using the tools. It is a shame when the disgruntled, uncooperative team member fails to see that these tools, at worst, are great skill builders that can help ensure employment in the future. It’s going to get harder and harder to find companies not using collaborative tools in the future. Many salespeople are finding out that they can’t “game” or avoid Salesforce.com or other CRM platforms much longer…
Peace.
Joe,
I guess I have moved on from the original Manifesto collection. I sort of put it in the basket with just so much West Coast Buddhist philosophy, “Find right livelihood and money will come”. Or even worse, “Build it and they will come.” Not that these sayings can’t be true, but they are not Gospel.
The 95 Theses is a numbered outline of ideas that weren’t put into a white paper. They are not equal. Many don’t make sense (Compared to Martin Luther’s real deal, this is mostly lightweight stuff).
What I did take away from this work ten years later is that most companies generally have not grokked the message here about markets as conversation (a self-evident truth). They are more fearful than ever with effots to reign in social media through heavy-handed corporate security policies and statements about the loss of intellectual property.
Last night I was searching for an iPad app that would sync up my Exchange calendar. The marketing copy sounded wonderful and the price was within the pale. Then, I read the only comment from an actual user. The one-star (out of five) review was summarized in one word: “Crashes!” I moved on.
All that marketing brain trust was squashed in a single word feedback from a single anonymous user. Instructive.
Jud.
Judson, thanks for the comment. I agree that not all of the 95 theses are equal. You could probably boil it down to less than 20 that truly can make a difference in both short and long term time frames. Yes, many companies are fearful of the loss of power and scramble to shore up their self-perceived security; and good luck finding the Exchange sync app; I’m sure someone will do it right.
Peace.
JZ