So I've been in the middle of reading a wide variety of books and Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae slips into the business/marketing area of my reading spectrum. Its a good read, easily taken in chunks, not surprising since he is a blogger. Actually, when I think about it I could easily imagine that most of his chunks are reformulated blog posts, but they hang together so nicely that it is not noticeable.

The basic premise of his book is that the new way of marketing demands a new way of doing business. According to Godin, the old way of doing things is to mass produce a bunch of stuff and then interrupting people (like TV ads) to get them to want it. While that has worked fabulously in the past, he contends that there are too many ways to get people interrupted and they are shutting off the interruptions that happen to them. Thus there a new type of marketing (direct communication with consumers, long tail, google, web2.0) has arrived and you can't just apply the new marketing to the old business model and expect it to work. As per his title, you can't just put flashy sundae toppings (cream, sprinkles, cherry) on the classic old meatball and expect anything good to come out of it. The web is not just a more efficient way of doing things, but a paradigm shift way of doing business with consequences that reach past the IT department.

However, as a designer, I'm not sure how new marketing works with my industry, even after reading the book. Part of the confusion is that Godin basic dichotomy is the mass versus the individual. If so, the architecture and design field is already a very personal profession (especially at the small firms that I have worked at). Maybe he's saying the paradigm shift is tilting the world towards my direction. If so, the lesson may well be that architects should get off of this mass production/prefab myth that they have been chasing for this past century.

Even so, I guess the book presents a mindset that may be useful in jumpstarting how one should view the role of computers in design, using them as more than just hyper efficient drafting mechanisms. Or it maybe a bunch of new-speak that isn't really work practicing. I'm just not sure -- but I do think it is a good read, even though it is less entertaining than his other book Small is the New Big (which actually is a collection of blog posts).

Business as usual isn't working anymore.

Seth Godin portrays the orthodox business practice trying to embrace the New Marketing as "Meatball Sundae". Meatball is straightforward and ubiquitious. The New Marketing is whipped cream and a cherry

Part 1 speaks out the difference between the old marketing (mass media, TV, command-and-control) and The New Marketing (fashion, stories, permission and promises)

The highlight of the book is in Part 2, The Fourteen Trends

Trend1: Direct Communication and Commerce Between Producers and Consumers

Trend2: Amplification of the Voice of the Consumer and Independent Authorities

Trend3: Need for an Authentic Story as The Number of Sources Increases

Trend4: Extremely Short Attention Spans Due to Clutter

Trend5: The Long Tail

Trend6: Outsourcing

Trend7: Googl and The Dicing of Everything

Trend8: Infinite Channels of Communication

Trend9: Direct Communication and Commerce Between Consumers and Consumers

Trend10: The Shifts in Scarcity and Abundance

Trend11: The Triumph og Big Ideas

Trend12: The Shift From "How Many" to "Who"

Trend13: The Wealthy Are Like Us

Trend14: New Gatekeepers, No Gatekeepers

Part 3 is "Putting It Together", it is basically the conclusion with some nice case studies in the final part

What I'm going to tell you is the breakdown of the dimensions of the content of the book into six dimensions: ease of understanding (how easy it is to understand), distinction (how unique it is), practicality (can it be done?), credibility (does it sound true and real or is it from out of nowhere?), insight (Is it deep of is it shallow?), and reading experience

If a book is easy to understand, distinct, practical, credible, insightful, and provides great reading experience, I consider it an excellent book.

Meatball Sundae:

Ease of Understanding: 8/10: Seth wrote it very simply, each part is divided into small sections (blog-like) instead of a long chapter. 2 points taken due to a maximum use of technological stuffs which can be hard to understand by brick-and-mortar marketers unless he or she read it with an online computer.

Distinction: 7/10: There have been books already about these trends, The Long Tail, far too many books on outsourcing and these technological trends, a famous The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman offers a great insight on this. However, Seth Godin is magical in the sense that he can thread and tie them together.

Practicality: 5/10: Although there are many new and fun things to learn and the 14 trends, he did not offer much on how to ride the trend. I now have a blog, subscribed to Twitter, Squidoo, etc. Now what? The stories mostly stop there

Credibility: 8/10: Seth's words are honest and real, he wrote about blogs and communication and he is the master at it with examples of successes and failures and a long lists of examples from other sources in a small book.

Insight: 5/10: Since the book is divided into many small chunks, there is no subject that is deep. It is understandable though, this is no Philip Kotler's textbook.

Experience: 9/10: This book is fun. My feeling was like sitting with Seth Godin himself while he shows me what's in his laptop and what should we do with our browser.

Overall: 7.1/10: A very good book on how marketing is and will be and the trends changing the marketing landscape forever but too little on the spot on methods and how-tos.

Marketing genius Seth Godin has once again hit it out of the marketing ballpark with Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?. Colorfully and succinctly, Godin lays out what you might not want to hear: that the "Old Marketing" of television interrupts and mass marketing average products, is losing ground to the "New Marketing" in the Web 2.0 world, and you've got to pick a team.

With fourteen clearly defined considerations of New Marketing in his toolbox, along with enough case studies (from companies you not only already know of, but have probably worked with) to prove his points, Godin makes a great case for not only utilizing these new tools, but also for adapting your entire business structure to work with them.

What could be so compelling that a seasoned company would restructure into a fresh startup just to take advantage? The consumer. In today's online market, the customer is not only king, he's also the boss, the critic, and sounding board from which all new ideas come.

It's never been a better time to be a consumer, an entrepreneur, or a creative. With Meatball Sundae Seth Godin makes us all feel new again!

Seth Godin is an expert on the use of new web-based marketing techniques. In the Meatball Sundae, he provides big-picture descriptions and examples of fourteen trends that are changing the business and marketing world. The book is visionary and easy to read but does not provide how-to details.

This is essential reading for not-for-profit executives whose organizations live and die based on the success of their marketing and fundraising efforts. While the book is aimed at the private-sector, imagine how you can make use of eBay, YouTube, Digg, and blogs to fundraise and draw attention to your cause.

Perhaps the best example of these strategies (not discussed in the book) at work in the public sphere is the success of Obama's online fundraising and community organizing machine. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/27/AR2008032702968.html?nav=rss_politics

This is must-reading for everyone who wants to change the world.

One thing about Seth's books is they always get me to thinking, and re-thinking. This time, I'm thinking about marketing in today's crazy upside-down new world. Every entrepreneur worth her/his salt should be thinking through their decisions about adopting new techniques, such as blogs and Twitter, and not just tag along with the crowd. Seth helps us sort it all out. For an expansion of concepts found in my own book, "The Expert's Edge," put this book on your study list too!

Hi Seth,

i have been following your blog like a year and reading your posts almost everyday. I also bought your book " Meatball Sundae" it is a great book everyone who has "gatekeepers"(who does underestimate technology and power of online marketing tools and love their dark caves) in their company should buy, read and apply, give the same examples or similar ones to their executives and you will finally win the challenge(i did it and it is working).You may easily convert them into "new marketing" lovers. i have been thinking to write you since along time but could not find time because i am reading your intelegence whenever i have time( always excuses:)).You have changed the way i look at the new marketing. Anyway soon i will order all your books from Amazon they are making everythng crystal clear and easy. I highly reccomend everybody to read them. I hope you will continue to write them.

All the Best,

Hi Seth,

i have been following your blog like a year and reading your posts almost everyday. I also bought your book " Meatball Sundae" it is a great book everyone who has "gatekeepers"(who does underestimate technology and power of online marketing tools and love their dark caves) in their company should buy, read and apply, give the same examples or similar ones to their executives and you will finally win the challenge(i did it and it is working).You may easily convert them into "new marketing" lovers. i have been thinking to write you since along time but could not find time because i am reading your intelegence whenever i have time( always excuses:)).You have changed the way i look at the new marketing and so my vp of sales. Anyway soon i will order all your books from Amazon they are making everythng crystal clear and easy. I highly reccomend everybody to read them. I hope you will continue to write them.

All the Best,

Godin continually wows me with his ability to convey the same messages in new and different -- and entertaining -- ways. I found many noteworthy ideas and thoughts in this book -- specifically, don't try to go after the hard-to-reach customers; stick with the ones you have and serve the heck out of them.

I liked the variety of examples Godin gives -- both "do this" and "don't do this." The real-life case studies drive home his points.

Anyone in business today should be considering these topics and figuring out NOT how to make New Media work for them, but how to adjust their existing business to take advantage of what New Media is.

I've read this book and listened to Godin speak, and I can tell you buying and reading this thing is a waste of time. His points are long-winded and not terribly important. If you're in traditional media and you're still trying to convince someone that "the internet" isn't a fad, this book is for you. However, if you live in work in the modern marketing age, you'll find nothing here of value.

If you are into the Future of Marketing do yourself a favor and get this book. I read a lot of books and this is one of the best marketing books I have ever gad the pleasure to gobble up while on some airplane going from one speaking gig to another. To illustrate: I am pretty ruthless with my high-lighter in one hand, and pen in the other, and by the time I am through I can always tell which book really got me going, simply by the amount of high-lighting I have done (or not, in most cases). And my copy of Meatball Sundae was YELLOW, all the way through. Every single page a real keeper, with morsels such as "Coca Cola is no longer the most popular soft drink in the country. The most popular drink is "Other", none of the above. The mass of choices defeats the biggest hits." and "The 'operating system' for marketers is now fundamentally changing. It doesn't matter how big your market share is today. If your product and your marketing are optimized for the older model, you will be defeated by the relentless tide of the New Marketing and the products and services that are designed for it"

Plus I love his writing: easy to read, to the point, structured paragraphs, clear. So, for once, forget the feeds, the tweets, the podcasts... read a book. This book.

I enjoyed this book very much but more importantly it gives me a different way to look at my marketing - or lack of in some cases. The ideas are principles we have known or heard but did we follow them. By Seth's innovative way of thinking and relating an idea it is both simple and complex at the same time. Easy reading but lots of ideas to put into place.
Pamela Waugh

This book offers a good bird's eye perspective to the marketing of today and the future. The "cheese has been moved" from old way to new.

Definetely worth reading and contemplating your current strategy!

I've always been a fan of Seth's so I had high expecations for this book. While I don't believe Seth is great at showing new trends, he does a wonderful job framing up the trends or learnings and provides wonderful examples to support them. I work for an advertising/PR agency and have sent copies of Meatball Sundae to all of my clients. Really very great example of new marketing, which as he points out, doesn't work when combined with traditional manufacturing organizations. I'd strongly recommend this book.

Great current concise review about marketing within the net. The book has some great points, although we will always need meatballs. As the author stated its pricey for the size of book, but for me a concise book to the point and little BS saves me time and money.

Easy read and yet, interesting and informative. Useful insights into the marketing landscape. Not a 'how-to' book.

Bestselling author and marketing Seth Godin has a message for you and your company - adding New Marketing elements to your existing marketing scheme is liking putting whipped cream and a cherry on your meatballs = Yuck! In fact, fourteen trends are relentlessly changing the way you need to do business, and if you choose to ignore the trends, your future looks bleak. This fascinating book tells you how the world has changed in the past, how it is changing today, and what you must do to survive and thrive in the new economy.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating book. I loved the author's explanation of the history of marketing (Josiah Wedgwood, you radical revolutionary you!), which I found quite illuminating. But, even more interesting is his explanation of how the world is changing now. I thought I knew what was going on, but I now see that I didn't really understand it all.

This is a very interesting book, one that must be read by just about any working adult. This is because, even if the trends the author describes haven't affected your business yet (and I really doubt that), they will have a colossal affect in the future - and I am not just talking about marketing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the near future, and wants to be ahead of the curve.

Seth Godin warns organizations that if they view Web 2.0 (or as he labels New Marketing) as just another tactic in their marketing bag of tricks, they are sadly mistaken. He states that organizations will need to rethink and redesign their organizations to meet the marketplace that has changed so dramatically as a result of the advances in technology and consumer's behavior.

The book itself is written very much in the bite-sized posting style of the author's preeminent thinking man's blog. His writing style is very succinct and as is typical for the author, stunningly insightful.

While this is not the author's best book, it is mandatory reading if you are expecting to compete in virtually any business, in any universe. I would suggest that you buy gift copies for the leadership of your organization as well as the marketing department. The test will be to see if they are willing to digest some of these hard lessons. If they survive in the probable challenging future, they very likely will have implemented many of the insights presented by the author.

Seth Godin reminds me in some ways of Jerry Seinfeld. He will look at things that you typically take for granted, simplifies them and then spins a description of them in such a way that makes you feel like you were "just whacked upside the head." This book also excels in storytelling alone timelines that make the past, present and future all the more relevant.

The book presents 14 trends that create the case for radical new business design. His case studies extrapolate the trends to reality. Finally, his prescription for the Disney organization to take more of a leadership role in the next wave of innovation, is well worth reading, to identify opportunities that may be applicable to your own organization.

mr. godin takes good sense and adds a pinch of marketing savvy and voila!
pie in your face if you're making the new marketing mistakes that are sooooo easy to slip into. get ready to face your fears and stare into the the mirror, ladies...

I read the hype and was sent the audios - could one small book really live up to such a build up?

The answer is a resounding YES!

With all the pressure to add on social media, what do we do?

Seth Godin's wonderful metaphor of a meatball sundae puts the whole approach to the new Web 2.0 and social media into perspective, without any techno-babble and keeps in short and simple.

What a gift of clear thought Seth has!

Seth Godin's books are always a good, fast read. But I got really bored with this one. Would be a good book if you have not read his others, but I did not feel like I learned anything from this one.

Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae is an excellent eye-opener for executives and traditional marketing professionals. It's about how to get started in the new marketing and what it involves.

I'm in the fitness industry, so i wasn't sure if this book would apply to my situation. But it did. I think the concepts in this book apply to all industries. It's a new way of looking at marketing.
I loved how examples where given with different businesses of using old style marketing as opposed to the new age of marketing. Great book. Don't hesitate like I had done. It's worth every penny.

Seth Godin is a machine that turns out marketing books that examine, in a particular manner, ordinary events and processes that create extraordinary results. Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing out of Sync?

Easy to read and you will likely carry around with you as it is very thought provoking.

This book will make you think, whether your are a digital neophyte or you make your living in the digital world. Seth is thoughtful, plain-spoken, and creative. In one sense, it is an easy read. In another sense, it is very deep and a book you will probably want to re-read and refer to.

Seth Godin sums up the central and profoundly important point of this book right here -

"The 'operating system' for marketers is now fundamentally changing. It doesn't matter how big your market share is today. If your product and your marketing are optimized for the older model, you will be defeated by the relentless tide of the New Marketing and the products and services that are designed for it." (p 182)

I hope companies with traditional models are heeding this advice, because it's only a matter of time before those models are Model T's.

"Meatballs" are average products made for average people. "Sundaes" are the new online marketing tools we see evolving and morphing by the day. You can't market meatballs with sundaes because New Marketing is all about quality and niches. The meatball model doesn't mix with the medium of the Web.

Godin tries hard to make his case, using several fascinating case studies and examples of how companies in the most mundane industries imaginable (blenders and notebooks, for example) have thrived by adapting their model to the New Market and then putting together smart sundae strategies.

For all his eloquence,lucidity, and credibility, Godin himself sounds a bit uncertain as to whether he possesses the necessary skill to make his case, going for a hard sell close in the final pages. Boy. If he thinks it's a tough sell, that should give one pause.

Despite the mounting successes scored by companies that embrace New Marketing, much of the business world is oblivious. While in some sectors YouTube is driving big sales, in many more sectors it is viewed as a mere source of personal entertainment. Blogs may be building loyal customer communities for some manufacturers, but for many more, blogs remain an utter mystery.

This book is must reading for business owners and high level execs, no matter what the business or its size. It's an attempt to explain the new marketing imperatives and why you must change your business and embrace them. Its message is similar to that of The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual, only told more politely, with less ideology and more practical illustrations.

The 7 words I can use to describe this book are: "don't judge this book by its cover", for if you do, you might think it is terrible! A person's head with a chef's hat on top and a picture of a sundae of meatalls, is disturbing, but very smart choices for Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin. Luckily, I really wanted to register for Seth Godin's SES Webcast on February 26, 2008 and the only way to register is to know the "last word on page 60 of Meatball Sundae". He's actually practicing what he preaches!

With not much marketing knowledge, I love how Seth Godin highlights the basics of "Old Marketing" and introduces the 14 trends of "New Marketing" with a lot of real life examples of big time businesses.

I expect to use a lot of my new knowledge to help my clients with their marketing strategy, and I expect to buy more of Seth Godin's books, and I'm excited about attending the webcast on February 26.

This book is a true purple cow based on Seth's earlier book's definition. If you have a company that wants to use new marketing and you think that an old product can be marketing with all the new web 2.0 methods all you have created is a meatball sundae. This book will rock your core thinking about your product and how it should be positioned in this new online world. But dont think you get away with it if yours in an off line product this book is for you too - take it read it and make the changes that Seth suggests. My company now called Purple Cow Digital, yes I am a convert to the Seth Godin way of thinking about marketing, and my online radio network is called HotSpot Radio [...] have both have been forever changed for the better since I read this book more than once.

Godin explains that the old days of marketing are changing because today's audience can fast-forward through commercials and block ads with technology. He discusses new media like search engines, YouTube, MySpace, blogs and blog trackers. Worth reading.

The message is clear and simple. Love your clients, match what they need and do a good job for them. Well-said.

Seth does a fantastic job at explaining new media and how it should balance how companies, organizations and individuals view their philosophies to succeed in Web 2.0 world. I haven't finished the book yet as I am still chewing on the concepts, but it's a great resource for marketing.

Ill make this brief since I plan to visit Seth's Blog and send him an email as well to compliment him on this book.

This is the first of Seth's books I've heard (purchased the audiobook). As someone who works in the depths of a corporation today, this book was refreshing, exciting and truly outstanding. I think this guy really gets it. Great job.

To even the casual observer, mass marketing techniques are dying. There are no longer three major TV networks. There are hundreds of channels. The cost of mass advertising is rising while at the same time its effectiveness is diminishing. We no longer want to buy mass market items. We want items designed specifically for us. We want goods and services to be unique for our taste and preferences.

The number of choices for goods and services are expanding. This results in lots of clutter in the marketplace. The number of companies clamoring for our attention is also expanding. We have learned to tune out most of these messages.

All this means that if you want to be successful in marketing your product or service, you will need to understand and embrace the new marketing techniques. These involve stories that people can believe in - this concept is well covered in Godin's book All Marketers are Liars. People buy stories, so make sure your product has an authentic story.

Word of mouth marketing, blogs, my space and You Tube are becoming more important in the new marketing world. But it is not enough to just use these new tools. Your product must "fit" with the new realities of business. You cannot just take an old mass market product and use the new marketing techniques - it will not work - it will be out of sync - hence the name of the book. If you want to succeed in the new world of marketing, you must build everything around the new realities of the marketplace. Your product and message must be in sync.

This is very timely and valuable information. Ignore it at your own risk and peril. You will be left behind.

If you had a bowl of meatballs and wanted to dress them up a bit before you served them, would you add whipped cream, a sprinkle of nuts, and a cherry on top? A meatball sundae doesn't sound attractive? Seth Godin knows how to write with snappy images to get his ideas across in crisp, concise, and memorable images. The idea of the meatball sundae is used to illustrate old style companies trying to "get with it" by using the New Marketing paradigm without updating anything else. One of the examples he cites is the $40 million Anheuser-Busch spent on Bud-TV to add zero new customers. I am not qualified to judge the appropriateness of the effort or what Bud was after, but I do agree with the author that the goal of all marketing, in the end, has to be to create more customers.

The book has three parts that each consists of multiple short sections that focus on aspects of the topic under discussion. Part 1 is "Thinking About the Meatball Sundae" and takes us through the history of marketing in the US and how it has gone through several upheavals and how those who got their marketing in synch with the new realities won.

Part 2 is "The Fourteen Trends", which discusses the realities of the New Marketing.
They fourteen trends are:

1) Direct Communication and Commerce Between Producers and Consumers
2) Amplification of the Voice of the Consumer and Independent Authorities
3) Need for an Authentic Story as the Number of sources Increases
4) Extremely Short Attention Spans Due to Clutter
5) The Long Tail
6) Outsourcing
7) Google and the Dicing of Everything
8) Infinite Channels of Communication
9) Direct Communication and Commerce Between Consumers and Consumers
10) The Shifts in Scarcity and Abundance
11) The Triumph of Big Ideas
12) The Shift From How Many to Who
13) The Wealthy Are Like Us
14) New Gatekeepers, No Gatekeepers

Part 3 is "Putting It Together" and Case Studies. The Case Studies are short illustrations of how these principles and trends support success or how failure results from ignoring them.

The book is a pleasant read and geared towards those trying to get a handle on what is happening now in the marketplace, especially to entrepreneurs thinking about their marketing efforts. It is written with energy and without academic jargon.

You will know if this book is for you. That is, if you are writing checks for marketing programs for your company, this book is for you.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

I think when the marketing history books are written, Seth Godin's name will be up there among the best and most insightful in the Internet age. Meatball Sundae is another great effort, worth the time, and you'll learn a ton. He'll explain why you just can't add a "dessert topping" of Web 2.0 marketing fluff to your "meatball" of a company - the new world requires a complete overhaul to do it right and be authentic - and reap the benefits.

Like most of Seth's works this is a quick read and reminder of how we should be doing business. As a brand consultant, I am always looking for good nuggets and different ways of expressing the importance of aligning an organization's brand. I think Meatball Sundae provides many helpful hints and is one of Seth's best efforts. I recommend it!

Seth Godin zeros in on what is wrong with "Web 2.0" style marketing attempts of many businesses. This book is a bit more information and example packed than some of his other great books.

Highly recommended for anyone involved in business and marketing.

That pretty much sums it up:there are a lot of good, interesting, sometimes batty ideas stetched across 280 pages, all looking for a unifying theme that escapes Godin's grasp. but no mind: this book is a true long tail with segments for some but not for all, some of which are compelling(the internet creates a nicer culture since visible power is hidden), provocative(think what people want and then build, do not build and then cram down), left over from other books(get permission to market), and revolutionary(the old guard will continue to try and force the word into the configuration where they thrived and try to will the world to match thier offerings as opposed to the other way around). Not as good or as integrated a product as "All Marketers Are Liars"----the best book I have ever read on persuasion(if you have a job requiring you to convince someone of something, lawyer, salessperson, c level exec, or whatever, it is a must read), but still a worthwhile read.

Another Seth Godin Gospel. A perfect book for any marketing person charged with creating, improving, revamping a web site, or just bringing his or her company into the modern age. First half of the book is filled with most of the gems. Second half has lots of value as well but concentrates more on real world examples and case studies.

A quote from the book: "There's significant opportunity here -- perhaps the biggest of your career." Who can afford to miss that?

Another quote from the book: "1% of blog readers are writers; 1% of talk radio listeners are callers; 1% of Wikipedia readers are contributers." I've decided to become one of the one percent and join the conversation because this title is worth conversing about.Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing out of Sync?

This audio book is right on target with addressing New Marketing.

Godin does an excellent job demonstrating why "old dogs" and "new tricks" often fail. His premise is that the techniques of Old Marketing (that is, interruptive marketing such as billboards, tv ads, and so forth) is dying, if not already dead. The problem for the adherents of Old Marketing is that they are unable to sync New Marketing innovations with their mass market products. They have been too focused on mass media, instead of consumer-to-consumer word of mouth marketing approaches. He then skillfully lists about a dozen other out-of-sync issues. The problem is that our societal changes and product individualization expectations have resulted in the consumer longing for altogether new (innovative) products through these New Marketing channels. We no longer want the built-for-everyone solution -- even if the maker starts a blog or other viral messaging about the item.

I feel Godin does a great job of bringing together a number of key issues presented in some of his earlier works (such as Permission Marketing), as well as telling authentic stories (pick up "All Marketers are Liars" by Godin or "Why Johnny Can't Brand" by Schley and Nichols), along with some of the recent word of mouth marketing writings (such as "Word of Mouth Marketing" by Sernovitz and "Buzzmarketing" by Hughes). For good measure, "Make it Stick" is a great discussion of what makes certain events and ideas have lasting impacts on our psyche.

It is clear that Godin does not put forth his ideas as easy -- largely due to the decades (even centuries, if you consider his Wedgwood example) of established marketing tradition, and the mega billion dollar machine that keeps the entire system going -- regardless of its increasing ineffectiveness. Nevertheless, Godin will make you a true believer in the need to make the changes -- not just to endure, but to thrive.

This is an A+ CD and is worth your attention.

We know there is lots of interest in social media right now from businesses. But there's also significant hesitation due to lack of case studies and measurement, as well as a general fear of change. Enter Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae, his latest book focused on the "New Marketing," set for a December 27th release.

Make no bones about it, this book arrives at the exact time it was needed. Now Corporate America has been told by its most revered marketer that the old ways aren't working, and that it's time to change -- not just marketing, but also product development -- to meet the new conversational media forms.

Seth Godin tells them why they should be a part of the New Marketing. And he does it in his usual creative way: With the meatball allegory, plus 14 trends and a great group of refreshingly new case studies.

This book will make it "safe" for many marketers to really begin actively experimenting with social media. And it is likely to trigger another wave of businesses moving into two-way conversations.

It's not a book for those who have been engaged in social media marketing and public relations for some time. Really, we're the choir and reading the book did not generate any massive revelations. Meatball Sundae does validate a lot of the drum beating inside our echo chamber.

For experienced social media marketers this book really has two intrinsic benefits. 1) It's the perfect gift for the Doubting Thomas in your executive suite. If the reader is still saying, "I don't know" after reading this, then just mail it in. They are in for a long ride, and there's nothing you can do about it. 2) The case studies are new, refreshing and great. It's hard to argue that social media doesn't produce results after reading "Meatball Sundae."

Here are some notable things I liked in the book:
# "We're watching it die." Meaning the era of mass marketing, p. 65.
# Godin accurately notes the new marketing does not allow you to create leads, etc. like the old marketing does. It enables word-of-mouth, p.162.
# Focus on authenticity and the end-users (or community as we like to say), p. 194.
# Josh Hallett, Chris Anderson and Brian Clark get nods
# Limited use of the Meatball allegory means that substance outweighs style. To be frank, I know theme books (where the allegory or concept is weaved throughout) sell better, but they also get tiresome quickly. In the words of Oscar Wilde, "Everything Popular is Wrong." Godin seems to realize the lifespan of the meatball allegory, and does not push it too far.

Buy your copy of Meatball Sundae today!

I just finished reading Seth Godin's latest book, Meatball Sundae. As "messy, disgusting" as Seth Godin describes a Meatball Sundae, this one tasted exquisite.

The biggest problem with reviewing a Seth Godin book is that the review is usually more complex than the book itself. Seth writes in a simple, playful and humorous way. If you have any passion for Marketing, you'll tear through the 230-pages in a breeze. The biggest challenge with Seth Godin books is that he opens up many cans of worms. He turns on the flashlight in the dark and dingy apartment that is Marketing, and you can see all the cockroaches runs for the hills. It's the stuff we know about the Marketing industry but never say. Meatball Sundae is less about Marketing and much more about business philosophy - how things have changed... and how (most) companies have not.

One of my favourite Seth Godin books is, Survival Is Not Enough, and Meatball Sundae follows in its path. Meatball Sundae (like Survival Is Not Enough) makes two simple (but challenging) realizations:

1. None of the stuff Seth talks about will work if your product/service is not memorable (think Purple Cow).

2. It's the people within the organization who, ultimately, must respect the Consumers and deliver real solutions (that's you).

Through fourteen trends that have changed the Marketing landscape, Seth validates his theories with real-life case studies and examples (ones that worked... and ones that didn't). Can a big company adapt to the New Marketing rules and avoid the Meatball Sundae as easily as a new or smaller company? Seth thinks so, but it does take a dramatic shift in how the business thinks (not just the Marketing). Personally, we've already seen many great business examples of companies that have scaled (Google, eBay, craigslist, etc...) leveraging the fourteen trends that Seth brings forward in Meatball Sundae.

The big win in reading Meatball Sundae? personal motivation.

Seth is a master at telling dramatic and simple stories that motivate. In reading business profile books on companies like Starbucks and Wal-Mart, there's always that feeling of "I could never do that." Meatball Sundae is an "I can do that" and "anyone can do that" type of book. A message like this can only be delivered by one person... and that's Seth Godin.

As Marketers panic over the New Marketing channel, Meatball Sundae is the voice of reason. Simple, practical, funny, quick and profound. Get yourself (and everyone on your team) a copy of Meatball Sundae - it's a no-brainer. I think it's one of his best.

Oh, and while you're out getting yourself a copy of Meatball Sundae, pick one up for your boss as well.

I'm already using the phrase Meatball Sundae in conversation, if that helps.

One of the top competitors of a company I work with is, in fact, a Meatball Sundae, and reading this book helped me realize just to what extent that's going to hinder our competition. It gave me the inspiration to continue pressing on, to "build something new."

David beats Goliath all too often for it to be an accident. Today's Goliaths are as vulnerable as their outdated assumptions, processes, incentive systems, and products.

Thanks for the ideas, Seth.

Seth... Buddy... I don't know how much of this book was written by you and how much was written by a ghost writer, but I was disappointed. Sorry to say it, but the dialogue, especially at the beginning was atypical of your otherwise highly engaging books.

I read this book in one sitting at a bookstore cafe. It is amazing to me that people shell out real $ for Seth's books. What drivel! There is absolutely no substance at all, only fluff! And he claims the book was reviewed by a college professor? Gimme a break!

Seth Godin has the uncanny presence to write what most marketers won't. Seth gives us examples where "New Marketing" works. He shows us why "Old Marketing" is fading because consumers are so good at ignoring ads and blocking out other unwanted marketing interruptions (see his ROI on direct mail v. real opt-in email). Seth also makes predictions (a marketplace with more personally tailored choices, better service, happier customers). So what's a meatball sundae? It's topping a bowl of meatballs (Old Marketing and mass-consumed products) with whipped cream and a cherry (New Marketing such as blogs and podcasts). What do you get? Heartburn, and not much else. After reading this book, you'll be challenged to think about your marketing and how to create true sundaes that are in sync with your products and customers. They'll tell you what they want if you let them. They already are through Internet searches and near-instaneous sharing of information. New Marketing is not going away. Continue to spam and yell at consumers through Old Marketing tactics at your own risk. Consumers have already been liberated.

Godin does an excellent job demonstrating why "old dogs" (the meatballs) and "new tricks" (the sundae toppings) often fail. His primary premise is that the techniques of Old Marketing (that is, interruptive marketing such as billboards, tv ads, and so forth) is dying, if not already dead. The problem for the adherents of Old Marketing is that they are unable to sync New Marketing innovations with their mass market products. They have been too focused on mass media, instead of consumer-to-consumer word of mouth marketing approaches. He then skillfully lists about a dozen other out-of-sync issues. The problem is that our societal changes and product individualization expectations have resulted in the consumer longing for altogether new (innovative) products through these New Marketing channels. We no longer want the built-for-everyone solution -- even if the maker starts a blog or other viral messaging about the item. I feel Godin does a great job of bringing together a number of key issues presented in some of his earlier works (such as Permission Marketing), as well as telling authentic stories (pick up "All Marketers are Liars" by Godin or "Why Johnny Can't Brand" by Schley and Nichols), along with some of the recent word of mouth marketing writings (such as "Word of Mouth Marketing" by Sernovitz and "Buzzmarketing" by Hughes). For good measure, "Make it Stick" is a great discussion of what makes certain events and ideas have lasting impacts on our psyche.

It is clear that Godin does not put forth his ideas as easy -- largely due to the decades (even centuries if you consider his Wedgwood example) of established marketing tradition, and the mega billion dollar machine that keeps the entire system going -- regardless of its increasing ineffectiveness. Nevertheless, Godin will make you a true believer in the need to make the changes -- not just to endure, but to thrive.

This is an A+ read and is worth your attention.

Old school marketers better get out from under the crumbling building and come into the light. Seth lays out, in Sethian fashion, a convincing display of what marketing is all about. The tools are out there for the real, authentic marketing mind to contribute value and succeed. I recommend getting a big bowl of your favorite ice cream, top it with your favorite syrup, spray on some whip cream, and read how to put the cherry on top of your marketing mind.

This is perhaps Seth's finest work to date. Make no mistake. I'm a Seth fan and for good reason.

Seth makes it easy for non-marketing guys like me (a corporate filmmaker) to grasp the deeper meaning of this "Web 2.0" thing and connect to those who are as passionate about a subject as I am.

So what does this have to do with organizations trying to get a handle on New Media Marketing? Perhaps everything.

Most organizations are stuck marketing widgets/stuff/services/meatballs by sprinkling some whipped cream and cherries on top...blogs/pods/wikis/...and hoping for something remarkable.

Seth proposes new marketing doesn't demand better marketing. It demands better products/services/organizations.

Organizations should start with a product/service/widget/meatball worth talking about and new marketing tactics will enable your story to spread that much faster.

Is your organization stuck serving "meatball sundaes?"


Thomas Clifford
---Corporate Filmmaker
http:///www.DirectorTom.com

When I deliver keynote speeches and run seminars at companies, I am often asked for advice on how to convince the bosses that the new rules of marketing really work. Frequently people say something like: "My bosses make me prove ROI before I can do this online thought leadership and viral marketing stuff."

My cynical answer is: "What's the ROI of putting on your pants in the morning?"

But then I suggest that people to ask their boss if in the past few months, they've made a product or service decision based on a direct mail piece they received or based on a TV advertisement. (Almost no bosses have). Then I say they should ask their boss if in the past few months they've used Google or another search engine to make a product or service decision. (Virtually all bosses have).

Well now I have something else to suggest. Buy a copy of Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing out of Sync? for your bosses.* Tell them it is an important book. Meatball Sundae will be your tool to help others in your organization to understand what you already get and what you are eager to implement. It will help you to get the buy-in to do the new rules of marketing that you know makes sense.

But first your bosses may need to transform your company.

Meatball Sundae lays out in a convincing manner the transformations that are taking place in business today. These transformations mean that everything needs to be looked at carefully, including marketing. But to just toss new marketing onto the top of obsolete business models is like putting whipped cream and a cherry onto meatballs to make a sundae. (Yuk).

Godin tells a story I really like. Josiah Wedgewood, a potter in England in the 1800's at the start of the Industrial Revolution, was the first to create a factory with a production line and job specialization. He built a showroom and shipped product around the world. And he sold bespoke pieces to royalty but first displayed those fantastic and expensive creations for several months so all could see. (Wedgewood was a marketing genius AND a business pioneer.)

Josiah Wedgewood took advantage of changes in society and technology and changed the way business is done, made millions, and founded a company still famous today. But his brother Thomas Wedgewood stuck to the ways that all potters have worked in the past, barely made a living, and is forgotten today.

Godin says fourteen trends are completely remaking what it means to be a marketer. And while these trends are transforming organizations that have the right approaches, they are crippling the organizations that are stuck with nothing but meatballs. Once again, marketing is transforming what we make and how we make it.

* > If you ARE the boss, you should buy copies for your board members and investors...