07/06/2024
✨Bruce Lee's Timeless Philosophy Can Help You Stop Chasing Shiny Objects" 🥋💥**✨
Growing up, my brother and I had a shared passion: martial arts movies. It was our go-to pastime, and we were, and still are, avid fans of Jackie Chan, (Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yen Woo Ping, Donnie Yen) having devoured everything he ever made. We also cherished those old-school kung-fu films, the ones with hilariously poor dubbing. And if you’re a martial arts aficionado, it all begins with the **PIONEER** himself—the legend who introduced kung-fu to the Western world—Bruce Lee.
So, why am I bringing up Bruce Lee and his philosophy in the context of marketing? Well, today I stumbled upon a Facebook post, which sparked some long-held ideas I've been mulling over but haven't openly shared. What follows is a reflection I had upon reading that post. I hope it resonates with you and helps you STAY FOCUSED amidst the myriad of shiny objects out there.
It dawned on me then, and has been reinforced over the past 15 years, that 99% of the time when "marketers" proclaim something as **DEAD**, they're simply trying to **SELL YOU SOMETHING**! [I'm generalising here] Many lack genuine sales expertise, so they resort to discrediting valid ideas and strategies to make their offerings seem superior. That’s the raw, unfiltered truth!
Every day, millions enter the market without the faintest idea of basic online marketing tools and strategies: landing pages, opt-in forms, funnels, sales pages, VSLs, value propositions, email automation—the list goes on. Consequently, what might seem OLD AND TIRED to veterans is actually fresh and innovative to the uninitiated. Further more, THE FOUNDATIONS to BUSINESS will never ever change, ever! The internet has only introduced **NEW TOOLS**, new ways of doing things by virtue of the fact it's a technological innovation, it permits marketing to be done in a completely "new way", but the FUNDAMENTALS of business DO NOT CHANGE! (More on this in later posts)
Bruce Lee captured this essence perfectly: "Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own." This tenet of Jeet Kune Do embodies adaptability and personalisation. Lee didn’t adhere rigidly to one martial art; he selected the best techniques from various disciplines, tailoring them to his needs and discarding what didn’t work for him. Crucially, what didn’t work for him wasn’t a universal truth—it was specific to his context and requirements.
Now, let’s transpose this wisdom to the world of marketing. The market is a constantly changing and evolving, where strategies deemed outdated by seasoned pros are often ground breaking for newcomers. Think about the enduring principles of direct response marketing. To a newbie, crafting a compelling value proposition or setting up an effective email automation sequence can be revolutionary, even though these techniques have been around for decades.
The notion that certain marketing strategies are obsolete is frequently a tactic used by those pushing their 'latest and greatest' solutions [gimmicks for many]. They create a narrative of obsolescence to inject a sense of urgency and novelty around their products. However, a savvy marketer knows that fundamentals endure. Human psychology—our desires, fears, and motivations—remains constant [READ THAT AGAIN]. Therefore, techniques grounded in these principles retain their effectiveness, regardless of the passage of time or the advent of new tools [TikTok and it's Ad platform, Twitch, Ai tools etc]
Take the sales funnel, for instance. To a veteran marketer, it might seem like an ancient artefact. But to someone just stepping into online business, the funnel is a sophisticated, transformative system. The same goes for email marketing. How many times have you heard that "email is dead"? Yet, email continues to deliver one of the highest returns on investment in digital marketing [FACTS!! research the stats]
The secret lies in recognising that the value of these strategies isn’t in their novelty but in their effectiveness. Just as Bruce Lee blended elements from different martial arts (Western boxing, US Wrestling, Chinese Kung-fu etc] to create a more effective fighting style, marketers should combine time-tested techniques with modern innovations to develop strategies that suit their unique circumstances.
Consider the landing page—a cornerstone of online marketing. While some may argue that social media and instant messaging have made it obsolete, a well-designed landing page remains one of the most effective ways to capture leads and convert them into customers. The same applies to the opt-in form. Though often dismissed as outdated, in the hands of a skilled marketer, an opt-in form can be a powerful tool for building a targeted email list and nurturing leads.
Innovation in marketing doesn’t mean abandoning the old for the new. It means integrating the old with the new to create something more powerful. It involves understanding the underlying principles that make a strategy work and applying those principles in novel ways. This is where true creativity and ingenuity shine.
Moreover, the concept of discarding what doesn’t work should be contextual. Just as Bruce Lee discarded techniques that didn’t work for him personally, not universally, marketers should assess strategies based on their specific circumstances. What works for one market, one audience, or one product may not work for another. The skill lies in discerning these nuances and tailoring approaches accordingly.
In conclusion, before hastily declaring a marketing strategy dead, consider that it might still hold untapped potential. By embracing the philosophy of absorbing what is useful, discarding what isn’t, and adding what is **uniquely your own**, you can navigate the ever-changing landscape of marketing with the wisdom of Bruce Lee and the acumen of a seasoned strategist. Remember, innovation isn’t about discarding the old; it’s about integrating the old with the new to create something more effective and enduring.✨
