Free Prize Inside Has Arrived!

Seth Godin has been throwing readers off the groupie track by stating that he loves going on tour without having to leave home.

There were rumors floating around to the contrary, but now it's official: Seth's Tour Bus was spotted leaving Las Vegas just this past weekend.

I corraled Seth recently to catch some more of his good word on "Free Prize Inside! The Next Big Marketing Idea":

MM: Thanks for giving us a ride on the bus, man. In “Free Prize Inside!” you talk about the importance of championing a soft innovation (or Free Prize) first - you have to sell the free prize idea to your organization. Then, you figure out the product itself. What advice would you give to sole proprietors and entrepreneurs who still feel the need to go through the championing process before proceeding with an idea? Who could they be looking to for support and validation?

SG: The key part is to build an idea that you’re able to champion.

In other words, if you come up with a plan for world peace and prosperity, but it involves getting George W. and the Dalai Lama in the same room with you, it’s probably not worth pursuing (unless your name is Madeline Albright). In other words, you need to push yourself to innovate, but you must do it incrementally, working your way up the championing ladder. Start with the projects you can take responsibility for and continually deliver on your promises.

MM: We have continuous discussions on this blog about the female brain and its difference in wiring from the male brain. A section of your book addresses what you call “Edgecraft,” your method for an individual to come up with great ideas. It struck me that some of what you talk about involves the intuitive and imagination process – do you think that women might have an “edge” here? (no pun intended.) Women do have four times as many connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain…

SG: I have no idea who’s better or not at Edgecraft, but I don’t believe that intuition is that important. I’m trying to describe a boring, iterative process that’s a lot more scientific than brainstorming. The challenge of Edgecraft is to have the guts to do something difficult, not necessarily the intuition to figure out what it is.

If you decide to build the most outrageous experience, or be the biggest or fastest or funniest or most convenient or friendliest… you then need to go all the way to the edge—and then a little farther.

MM: It's been great talking with you. I know we're gonna get booted off the bus at the next stop, but one final question – your book “Purple Cow” came packaged in a milk carton. Now, “Free Prize Inside” is packaged in a cereal box. How about putting your next book inside a banana peel – go for the “balanced meal” concept?

SG: Actually, if I wasn’t a vegetarian, I’d do bacon and two slices of white bread toast!

The thing about the packaging is that in addition to being self-referential, it works. People talk about the book before they even read it. People put it on their desk in a way they wouldn’t put a book on their desk…

There you have it, dear readers. As Seth's tour bus rolls on into the sunset, I ask you... have you gone to the edge lately? What will be your next Free Prize Inside?

Comments

[John Reed]

Excellent! I enjoyed reading your material. Port aBuayar: http://www.cosmicbuddha.com/blog/archives/001169.html , Revelations of John