The 8 Kinds of Marketers

Football Movie Edition

Why?  Because  new  buyers  are  well  over  halfway  through  their  purchasing  decision  before  they  even  talk  to  you.  They  are  out  there,  beyond  your  control,  and  educa=ng  themselves  by  talking  to  your  exis=ng  customers  and  fans.   If you aren’t doing some form of advocate marketing, your message won’t carry through. In honor of 2014’s Big Game, we put together this list of classic Football Movie archetypes to convey the different ways marketers engage customers and build true, mutually beneficial partnerships with them.

As a B2B marketer, you strive to inspire happy, loyal customers to advocate for you.

The Cheerleader Bring It On

As a marketing cheerleader, you thrive on the enthusiasm of your community and know

exactly what to do to enhance it. You have a unique gift for rallying your customers and

genuinely pumping them up about what they are doing. Social media is your program of choice, and you live for the day that your

content goes viral. Bring it on, indeed.

The Coach Any Given Sunday

They  call  you  coach.  You  inspire  your  customers  with  educa=on,  knowledge  and  thought  leadership.  You  take  pride  in  really  understanding  your  customers  and  what  they  go  through  day  in  and  day  out,  and  you  feel  a  responsibility  to  help  them  learn  from  each  other.  

Whether  you  blog  to  a  crowd  or  speak  to  an  audience,  one  of  your  greatest  sources  of  pride  is  in  hearing  that  

simple  response,  “Thanks!  That  was  helpful.”  

The AGENT Jerry Maguire

Does  anybody  truly  embody  the  no=on  of  “advocate”  more  than  a  sports  agent?  You  treat  your  customers  like  gold,  while  simultaneously  figh=ng  on  their  behalf  any  way  you  can.  You  know  that  for  them  to  truly  

excel,  you  may  have  to  push  them  from  =me  to  =me  –  and  you  understand  the  nuanced  way  of  doing  that  honestly  and  effec=vely.  To  you,  every  customer  is  

special  and  deserving  of  nothing  but  the  best,  and  you  make  it  your  mission  to  help  them  achieve  110%.  

The Hidden Talent The Waterboy

Some=mes  the  best  doesn’t  always  rise  to  the  top.  As  a  marketer,  you  

know  this  happens  quite  a  lot.  That’s  why  you  are  out  there,  talking  to  people  every  day,  searching  for  the  the  hidden  gems  in  your  customer  base.  Once  you  iden=fy  them,  you  help  them  shine  –  giving  them  

opportuni=es  to  share  their  story  with  the  world  and  posi=on  

themselves  as  experts  in  their  field.  Years  later  you  look  back  and  think  to  

yourself,  “Yeah…  I  found  that  superstar.  That  was  me.”  

The Quarterback Heaven Can Wait

You  are  the  top  dog.  The  big  kahuna.  The  cream  of  the  crop.  Everyone  knows  you  are  good  –  check  that  –  the  best.  They  see  you  as  a  beacon  of  light,  raining  wisdom  and  sunlight  down  throughout  the  industry.  You  are  a  powerhouse  among  your  peers,  and  you  inspire  your  

customers  through  your  sheer  presence.  With  this  great  power,  of  course,  comes  great  responsibility,  and  it  is  a  responsibility  you  are  proud  to  bear.  Shine  brightly,  oh  

quarterback.  People  are  depending  on  you.  

The True Believer Rudy

You  are  a  marketer  with  a  mission.  You  carry  great  passion  for  the  problems  you  are  helping  your  customers  solve,  and  that  enthusiasm  seeps  from  your  pores  like  smoke  from  fire.  You  are  a  catalyst  to  everyone  around  you,  inducing  change  in  areas  no  one  ever  expected.  You  may  not  realize  it,  but  people  look  up  to  you  for  your  

integrity  and  singularity  of  purpose.  Your  honest  love  of  the  game  influences  your  customers,  inspiring  them  to  overcome  obstacles  and  achieve  success.  

The Fighter North Dallas Forty

Business  is  war,  and  your  customers  are  out  there  every  day  on  the  front  lines.  You  are  a  fighter,  and  your  most  

important  job  is  to  arm  your  customers  with  the  tools  and  techniques  they  need  to  crush  their  compe=tors.  

Something  standing  in  your  way?  Annihilate  it.  Flanked  from  the  right?  Adapt  and  advance.  As  a  marketer  you  

understand  that  the  bonds  forged  in  baXle  are  extremely  powerful.  So  you  do  everything  you  can  to  give  your  customers  the  compe==ve  edge  they  need  to  win.  

The Mascot Behind the Mascot

Marke=ng  is  about  one-­‐to-­‐one  rela=onships  –  a  philosophy  you  live  and  breathe  every  day.  Heard  good  

news  about  someone?  You  give  them  a  call.  One  of  your  customers  said  

something  nice  about  you  to  someone  else?  You  send  a  thank-­‐you  note.  

When  problems  happen  you  are  the  one  that  your  customers  rely  on  to  help  them  through  it.  You  are  a  

dependable  presence  throughout  your  customer  base,  and  have  earned  the  

respect  of  your  community  one  individual  at  a  =me.  

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