if you believe manifesto by david lemley

© 2011 Retail Voodoo, LLC. All rights reserved. Thursday, June 16, 2011 1

If You Believe


I've seen the best brands of my generation destroyed by

madness and greed.


Factories and post-war prosperity spawning an era of hyper choice to the point where we now have 300

choices of toothpaste.


Design has become a shroud of sameness, protecting us from the

original, the different.


Business schools and marketing firms have chased the Four P’s of Marketing

into the corner, stripped them naked and stomped them to death.


There are 300 choices of toothpaste.


My mission is to rid the world of unnecessary products by helping breakthrough ideas dominate so

powerfully that the pretenders die.


Have you ever killed a brand just to watch it die?


300 choices.


The experience economy is a real conversation helping people

to commune.


To be different, together.


To disrupt consumer driven society and reconnect with other people.


Against all business school theory, I believe that people will let brands

help define them so long as you, their stewards, understand the following:


The people have assumed control of your brand.


They want you, and your brand, to have morals and values.


People look to brands to take a stand on issues the way previous

generations looked to religion.


They willingly help ideology driven brands become distinctive markers

of human identity.


No one is waiting to erect amonument to our excuses.


I believe design without a voice is futile.


Ideology trumps systems.


I believe that people look to leaders who are self-aware enough to

listen without worrying what they will say in response.


And that the people will follow, if they believe.


300, I say.


Now, is your mission to sell more product to 18-34 year olds?


To increase shareholder value?


Is your mission to line extend in pursuit of 2% share increase, or doyou actually believe in something?


Are you in the business of selling things, or do you have a higher calling?


Because if you believe – if you truly believe – then maybe

we can believe, too,


and maybe we can help reach others who believe…


and together, build a community of believers.


But if your biggest goal is line extension – if share capture or stock price is

keeping you up at night,


then perhaps we will have the pleasure of meeting on the battle field.


Written from the cottage on the dock, somewhere in Seattle

if you believe manifesto by david lemley

Design

retail voodoo

choices of toothpaste

share increase

business schools

business of sellingthings

business school theory

share capture

line extension