Gonzo Marketing

Winning Through Worst Practices

By: Christopher Locke

Narrated by: Christopher Locke

From the author of The Cluetrain Manifesto comes Gonzo Marketing, a knuckle-whitening ride to the place where social criticism, biting satire, and serious commerce meet...and where the outdated ideals of mass marketing and broadcast media are being left in the dust.

As master of ceremonies at the wake for traditional one-size-fits-all marketing, Locke has assembled a unique guest list, from Geoffrey Chaucer to Hunter S. Thompson, to guide us through the revolution that is rocking business today, as people connect on the Web to form powerful micromarkets. These networked communities, based on candor, trust, passion, and a general disdain for anything that smacks of corporate smugness, reflect much deeper trends in our culture, which Locke illuminates with his characteristic wit.

Gonzo Marketing is not yet another nostrum for hoodwinking the unwary. It's about market advocacy. It describes how "the artist formerly known as advertising" must do a 180. It's about transforming the marketing message from "we want your money" to "we share your interests." It's about tapping into, listening to, and even forming alliances with emerging online markets, who probably know more about your company than you do. It's a hip-hop cover of boring old best practices played backwards. The paradox is that companies that support and promote these communities can have everything they've always wanted: greater market share, customer loyalty, brand equity.

©2001 Christopher Locke, All Rights Reserved (P)2001 Simon & Schuster Inc., SOUND IDEAS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Falters after Great First Half

Wow! This book was like a breath of fresh air and very vindicating -- saying everything that I'd been yelling at my bosses for ages.

And then, midway through the second disc, the author seemed to go into fits of hysterics, talking about duality, spirituality, and eCommerce. Where did this come from? Until this awful turn, it was a great listen.

The New Marketing

Christopher Locke (a.k.a. "Rageboy") is an interesting, outspoken fellow and one of the creators of the "Cluetrain Manifesto" which caused quite a stir upon its birth.

Stemming from the manifesto came a book of the same name (which I'm listening to now) and from that comes Locke's book, "Gonzo Marketing". Gonzo Marketing delves more deeply into the concept of helping corporations acquire what he and his manifesto-writing brethren refer to as "Voice".

Voice is about the unfiltered tone, manner and humanity of individual conversations happening on the Internet and the participants within them. He insists that corporations don"t have "Voice" as they are faceless, soulless, non-human entities. For the most part, he"s right.

He postulates on ways for corporations to acquire Voice, but also ways for them to exercise their Voice in relevant communities of interest on the Internet, and how this participation contributes to their bottom line. He also delves into the financial aspects of this community participation through a not-so-traditional model of "underwriting."

It's a relatively short audiobook and well-worth the mind expansion.

I feel

He reads as he understands it.
It made me happy, for I feel understood, I disliked it being so abruptly short. Guess I will dive in deep with he's best selling one. I sent a free copy to a friend who I know Loves the business. So much so I feel a lot of he's self value (as most men would have it) is in he's business.
This book put in words by a man to in my case sent to another white man. I as a Artist, spiritual being and woman I thank this creation for it explained what I know and feel white men need to chill the fuck down! :)
<3 Gonzo

No substance!

So many words... so many adjectives... so little substance it was actually painful to listen to.

Great book

Captures the ideas of the Cluetrain Manifesto in a brief listen.

Waste of time, money and brain space

The first hour of this book has nothing to do with marketing, gonzo marketing or anything. It's just some blowhard trying to use big words and failing miserably and misquoting cliches.

The second hour of this book isn't much better. There's no research, no earl theories or actionable info. It's just a dude who enjoys the sound of his own pontificating and who thinks he's much smarter and a much better writer and thinker than he is.

There are many, many better business, marketing and social media on Audible.

This book sucks.