Book Review: Join the Conversation
January 30th, 2008Author: DialogueMedia
I really hope you haven’t come here looking for an impartial, objective review of Joseph Jaffe’s latest scre… um… manife… um… tira… book “Join the Conversation.” If you have I hate to break it to you but you’re going to be more than a little disappointed. I’m a fan of Jaffe’s blog, of the client programs he’s put together and his previous book, Life After the 30-Second Spot.
Join the Conversation picks up more or less right where LA30SS left off, with a loud and clear call for marketing professionals to leave the past behind them and begin thinking differently in order to adapt to a world where traditional tactics don’t have the same impact they once did. In the previous book that call was focused on moving beyond the existing commercial formats and doing more to reach people in a targeted manner with messages that were relevant for them at a time that was convenient for them. Instead of “here’s when we’re speaking and all of you better pay attention now because I’m only going to say this 68 more times” he wanted marketers to go out with messaging that said “I know you’re busy but it seems like now might be a good time for us to chat because I think you’re going to like this.”
In JtC, though, Jaffe takes it to the next level and pushes marketing professionals to actually get down in the muck – he often uses the “ivory tower” as the marketer’s preferred environment – and talk with the customers. That requires a drastic shift in thinking because customers, both current and potential, are usually treated as idiots to be talked TO and certainly not WITH.
But, and this shouldn’t be a shocking point of view to readers here or most other places, engaging in meaningful discussions with members of the buying public has the upside of showing what’s working and what’s not, even if what they have to say deviates from the key messages the corporate team decided on.
It doesn’t even have to be direct dialogue that occurs, as Jaffe points out. Sometimes it’s as simple as sponsoring a platform people are already using to connect with other like-minded individuals. Sometimes it’s soliciting feedback, even if it’s anonymous in nature. His point, and it’s a good one, is that it’s time to listen more and talk less because people have a voice (through blogs, social networks, podcasts or other tools) and the means to amplify that voice (RSS feeds, friends updates, search results) so knowing what’s being said is more important than ever before
In addition to being filled with plenty of instances and case studies that help to flesh out and prove his point, Jaffe’s very writing style should not be overlooked. It’s very conversational and natural, very much like he wrote this in the same manner he speaks. In fact, as with LA30SS, the enjoyment of the book (I laughed more times than I’ll admit here) is increased if you’ve met him or listen to his Jaffe Juice (nee Across the Sound) podcast. If you haven’t I highly recommend doing so.
Join the Conversation is a natural for anyone working in this industry or field and is recommended without reservation.
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