March 8, 2025 • 27 mins
Why did I spend $1000 on tickets to see Coldplay, even though I’d never even purchased an album of theirs before the show?
A reflection about how Coldplay, Chanel, Wine Tasting and the movie industry can set us free in marketing.
It's about the art of building a brand that moves people.
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Instagram: @merilyn
Website: merilyn.com
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Episode Transcript
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Merilyn (00:00):
Well hello.
If we've not met, I'm Merilynand this is my show where I love
to chat with tall poppies I'vemet.
But today I'm sharing a piecethat I created for my Tall Poppy
Society, but I felt it had tobe shared on a bigger scale.
It's a story of why I spent athousand dollars on tickets to
(00:22):
see Coldplay, even though I'dnever purchased an album of
theirs before.
And I may or may not have now areally big crush on Chris
Martin.
Here we go.
Until last year, I had neverbeen to a Coldplay concert.
I honestly hadn't paid themmuch attention.
(00:43):
I lived in London back in theearly 2000s when they were
formed.
But for some reason, I justdidn't really notice them.
I think I kind of blended themwith Oasis and I don't know, it
just I knew all the big songs.
How could you not?
But I wasn't a Coldplayer.
(01:04):
I wasn't a fan, but I wasn'tNOT a fan.
And then last year on socialmedia, I started to notice
interviews with the band,especially Chris Martin, the
lead singer.
His whole presence and way oftalking just captivated me.
I also kept seeing peopleposting videos of their concert
(01:27):
and loving music as I do andloving the emotion that comes
with music.
I started to take notice.
And then when I found that theywere coming to Sydney, I had
this deep craving to go, but allthe tickets were sold out.
And I really, really wanted togo.
I started searching around andI found a company that bought
(01:48):
reseller tickets.
And yeah, there was that riskof it being dodgy.
But I thought I'm gonna take achance because what if it turns
out I spent a thousand dollarson two tickets?
I'm embarrassed to say that.
They weren't VIP tickets, theywere in the stands tickets, they
weren't on the floor where itseems that it that's the place
(02:11):
where you want to be in acoldplay concert.
And I nervously, nervouslywaited for the tickets to be
released.
Only like less than 24 hoursbefore the concert.
The tickets came through and Ihad never purchased a Coldplay
album.
And I didn't even think to goto Spotify and listen to a few
(02:33):
albums for free before theconcert.
And we got there early and Iwatched the stadium fill up, and
I learned so much in a coupleof hours.
I had no idea that they wereall about sustainability, and
they had all these fun, I mean,you a cynic would call it
gimmicky, but they had these funways of generating power for
(02:56):
the concerts, like uh thatentertained people as their
place was filling up.
They had like bicycles thatthey could you could go and
ride, stationary bicycles thatwould generate uh energy.
They had these fun stages thatsort of moved like trampolines,
and then they would havedance-offs and put the picture
of the people off the bigscreen.
(03:18):
When you came in, they gave youthese wristbands that were LED
lights, and they put up stats ofwhich city or which country was
the highest in recycling them,in other words, giving them back
at the end of the night.
It was quite phenomenal.
And then the support acts werepeople you didn't know.
(03:39):
They had searched out littleknown people with talent who
probably would never get achance to be on stage.
And then the show itself.
Have you ever been to aColdplay concert?
It would melt a stone heart.
There was this sense ofexcitement and love and
(04:00):
possibility.
They contained the energy inthis place, and you just
thought, oh my gosh, if we couldget the whole world to one of
these concerts right now,perhaps it would change things.
And yeah, the music and theperformance and the lights and
the LED wristbands going off atcertain times, and then telling
(04:21):
us to put our phones away andjust enjoy the moment and the
fireworks going off at the righttime, and these giant planets
uh floating around and big ballsfloating around and streamers,
and it was all so well-timed andjust spectacular.
But it was it was more than justa show.
(04:43):
This was their passion, theirlife, their love, their craft.
And it wasn't about them, itwas about us collectively
experiencing this as someone inthe crowd, in the audience.
We felt as much a part of theshow as the people on the stage.
And if I went back evenfurther, we decided to uh not
(05:06):
drive in because, well, parkingwas sold out, and we caught
public transport.
We caught the train from thecentral part of Sydney and had
Cold play on the front, youknow, in the destination in
lights on the train.
And everyone was in this buzzymood.
I was just like gobsmacked.
And as we were going from thetrain, from the central place, I
(05:29):
think it stopped one otherstop, picked up more people, and
then went to the it was whatwas the Olympic Stadium where
the concert was.
They were playing Coldplaysongs the whole way, and people
were singing, and it it was justan experience I've never had on
that scale before.
And you can probably hear asI'm talking that I went from
(05:50):
just observing and because I'dheard of how great they uh this
concert was, and I was socurious, into a major fan.
It wasn't just a concert.
It ended up being a masterclassin, I'm gonna say it wow, a
masterclass in branding, wow,presence, influence.
And here's the thing (06:13):
I never received a single ad, email, an
email sequence, a marketingfunnel, nothing nudging me
towards that concert.
And yet there I was, utterlycaptivated, completely drawn
into experience.
I didn't even know I needed.
Cold play doesn't market the waywe've been told we should.
(06:36):
They create and they invitepeople into something much
bigger.
So I want to talk in thisepisode, this perhaps class,
this teaching, thinking aboutthis, feeling into about this
for your own brand.
So as you're listening to mywords and I'm learning here with
(06:57):
you, I'm reframing here withyou.
And this is part of our merginginto the age of integrity, not
just the age of success forsuccess full stop.
It's about growing wild orbreaking free from anything that
feels tired for you.
What if you could move into thekind of brand presence that
(07:20):
moves people?
You don't have to sell.
People spend a thousand dollarsfor a few hours at a concert
like I did as my first Coldplaypurchase.
So for years we've been toldthat marketing is a formula, a
funnel, an email sequence, alead magnet, a freebie.
And then we have to nurturethem and then we have to sell to
(07:42):
them.
And here's something else I'veobserved.
Much online marketing is just amarketers selling to other
marketers.
It's a self-contained kind ofnetworking loop of tactics,
disconnected from art, passion,and cause and purpose, and
artistry, and presence, andcopla.
(08:04):
They don't do any of that, andyet they sell out stadiums, not
by pushing, not by chasing, butby creating an experience people
can't resist, and peoplenaturally share on social media
and are so excited about it thatpeople go, I want to go there
too, because look at thatexperience.
(08:25):
I want that experience.
And at the beginning, no, theydidn't have this presence, this
world, they didn't have that,but they kept plugging away.
If you can, go and Google avideo, it's probably on YouTube
or Instagram, a video of ChrisMartin in the early days.
(08:48):
He has braces on his teeth,he's probably in his very early
twenties, and he's making astatement that one day
everyone's gonna know theirname.
It's interesting hearing him,if you could find another clip
where he's embarrassed aboutthat and he's sharing how back
then he didn't really believethat.
He was hoping that.
(09:08):
But they kept going, they keptgoing, they kept going, they
kept going.
And unfortunately, the way wesee things is we don't have that
tenacity.
We're like, well, I didn't, Ididn't have anyone show up, so
I'm doing something wrong.
We give up, we try anotherstrategy instead of just getting
better and better and better atour craft and creating
something that is just movespeople.
(09:29):
If I create a product or aservice that is just emotionally
irresistible and I communicateit, I don't just play the music
in my garage and not let anyonehear, not tell anyone it, well,
I can't lose, and neither canyou.
So this leads to my nextthought.
(09:49):
Luxury brands and the cinema,the movie industry operate the
same way.
Think about Chanel or Gucci.
Do they chase customers?
Do they even have Black Fridaysales?
No.
They create a world.
When you walk into a Chanelboutique, there's no hard sell,
there's an invitation into anexperience.
(10:10):
The lighting, the atmosphere,the exclusivity.
It's all designed to make youfeel something.
And depending on your sense ofpersonal power, you can either
feel welcome and wanted in thereor you can feel intimidated and
small.
But the presence is so strongthat people aspire to be part of
it without needing constantreminders or ads shouting for
(10:30):
attention.
I challenge you to go to thehigh-end fashion, luxury fashion
house that you love.
Maybe it's Chanel, maybe it'sGucci, maybe it's Yves Saint
Laurent.
Sign up to their email list andthen look at their emails.
It's minimal.
They don't sell, they let theproducts wow you.
And what arises in you is thebuyer.
(10:53):
I want that.
It's aspirational.
And whether you've got a luxurybrand or not, it's about
recognizing that our feelingsimpact our buying decisions.
When we're standing in front ofthe cheese cabinet, we use
emotion to choose which cheesewe want.
How do we want to feel whenwe're eating that cheese?
(11:15):
And even making a decisionbased on price, this is related
to a feeling of safety.
It's always, always, alwaysemotion, not logic.
Some of you know that I've beenworking with a winery in my
local area.
You see, I'm having a littleadventure living in the country
for a time, and I'm living on alittle farm just outside a
(11:40):
historical village.
And I also live on the roadthat goes into a small town that
is known for its wineries, itscheese making, honey making.
And I have been working withone of the older wineries.
They've got a really good name.
They produce very good winesthat have won a lot of awards
(12:03):
and a lot of accolades.
I have been uh working in theircellar door.
It's been an amazing experiencebecause I've been doing some
marketing with them.
I meet a lot of people, I loveit.
And so they're coming in tobuy, and we give them a tasting
experience.
And I've been around to a lotof the other wineries in the
area, and I so enjoy going todifferent places and
(12:27):
experiencing tasting, uh,tasting the wines.
And it's really interesting tosee how the different wineries
approach it, and the ones that II love and the ones that I
would never go back to.
And in wine tasting, it's anemotional experience.
First of all, people come in inthis buying mood.
(12:49):
I don't have to sell the wineat all, I just have to give them
an experience.
But what's really interesting,I'll have two people sitting
side by side, and one will lovethat Shiraz and say it's the
best Shiraz they've ever had.
And the next person will go, ohno, it's average for me.
Like I cannot decide or judgepeople's taste.
(13:10):
And that's the same with us.
Instead, we've been taught foryears.
How many of us have been taughtwe've got to overcome
objections?
Oh my gosh.
What if I said to that personwho didn't like the Shiraz,
well, I need to overcome yournot that I would say it to them,
but I what if I went intoovercoming objections all of a
sudden?
That would be a laugh.
(13:31):
The same goes for the movieindustry.
Films don't chase audiences atall.
When did you last get an emailsaying, come to this movie?
And here's bullet points andemojis telling us why we should
go to the movie.
No, we might if we belong tosay, like I go to see movies
here in Australia at events andI sign up to their club, so I
(13:53):
get points when I go to see themovie, and you can spend that on
popcorn or on free tickets andthings like that.
And I'll get an email from themsaying, Here are the movies
coming up.
And I'm like, yes, what'scoming up?
Exciting.
But what do they do to buildanticipation and intrigue and
storytelling and emotion?
They put out trailers, they putout teasers.
(14:14):
Often I'll get a ping on myphone and it's from my son.
And actually, it's not a ping,it's a chewbacker growl.
My son is the only one who hasa custom uh ringtone.
And he'll go, Mom, thistrailer's out, and he'll send me
the link uh to YouTube wherethe trailer's been released.
(14:36):
So, how are you going?
Is this kind of shaking you upright now?
And if you're in the Tall PoppySociety, we're gonna gather and
talk about these points, answerquestions, nut it out how can
we apply this in our marketing?
Okay, let's get back to a littlebit more about Coldplay and
(14:57):
them as a brand.
Look, Coldplay success isn'tabout strategy, it's about
sincerity.
And I honestly believe thatmore the more sincere that they
have been, the faster the firehas spread.
They don't just put on a show,they connect with us.
That one stage Chris Martinstops and he and by the way,
(15:21):
they have two platforms.
They have the main stage, andthen halfway through the show
they go down to the otherplatform so that they get the
people at the other end of thestadium, they get to see them as
well.
And at one stage, you'reprobably seeing this uh in video
clips, is that they put thespotlight on people around the
stadium and and Chris Martinjust he has fun with them and he
(15:41):
makes up a little song aboutwhoever is on the screen right
then.
It's amazing.
And then at another point, he'ssitting at the at the uh piano
and he bites people up from thefloor and they have a song
request.
So he goes back in the archivesand sings one of his songs.
And when I was uh at theconcert, a couple of girls had
(16:02):
lost their father to cancer andthey sang that song, and the
girls were in tears, and therewas connection there.
Chris Martin, he look heembodies this humble magnetism
that makes fans feel likethey're part of you know
something real.
I when I look at him, I feellike he's my friend.
And I guess the whole worldthinks that.
(16:23):
Billions do.
Google some of the things hesaid.
He's such a peaceful character.
Life is beautiful in all itscolours, even the darker ones,
they're here for a reason.
I love that.
About motions that are allkinds of weather.
You know, this kind ofperspective resonates through
their music and interactions,and he shares how he he does
(16:44):
practices like the 12-minutething every morning where he
takes a piece of paper andscribbles out all his thoughts,
all his pains, all these fears,and then either burns it or
flushes, and he says he's beendoing this for years, and it's
part of how he keeps his energyclean.
See, authenticity like that,where he shares how he what he
goes through, is he's not about,oh, let's put on this bravado.
(17:05):
I am the rock star behindsunglasses.
You can see the sparkle in hiseyes.
Gosh, it's refreshing.
Now, luxury brands understandthis too.
People don't just buy ChristianDior, they buy the story, the
heritage, the feeling of wearingsomething timeless.
And in the movie industry, theydon't try and appeal to
(17:29):
everybody and they don't talkabout niching.
They just create their movieand know that it'll appeal to
the ones that love it.
And that's okay.
Do you think the creator of themovie, the director, you think
they care?
No.
So why are we so worried aboutthe non-buyers?
They create this for the buyer,for the fan.
(17:52):
You only need to sell to thefans, not to the non-fans.
Instead, we spend so muchemotional energy having to learn
sales skills, trying to sell tosomeone and overcome objections
to people who aren't fans oraren't buyers.
And then if we do convert thosepeople who aren't buyers, who
just buy it because we'vediscounted it all, that we've
(18:13):
said all the right things in asales strategy, or they're bored
out of guilt, or they're boredout of need, or they're bored
out of fear, they're not ourideal fans.
Actually, they're not fans atall.
Doesn't this bring relief?
What does this mean for yourbrand, your business, your art?
Am I trying to just sellbecause that's what I've been
(18:35):
told I must do because I've gota business?
Or are we making people feelsomething?
Let's learn from differentindustries and trust, trust,
trust, trust, trust that notonly will it work, but it will
bring such personal and customersatisfaction and fulfillment.
(18:56):
Now, Coldplay doesn't rely onconventional marketing, they
create experiences.
For example, their album ImmuneMusic, which I adore, they held
listening events in kind ofsurreal locations around the
world, partnered with onlineplatforms, meeting fans where
(19:16):
they already are, and makingthem part of the experience.
They did that thing with DickVan Dyck.
That is just so endearing.
They did another one where theyput out into the world an
invitation for artists tocreate, video artists to create
snippets for this song.
And then they stitched them alltogether and re-released the
(19:39):
song again or a video on onYouTube and on their website
with uh this this like visualfeast, and it was contributed
from well, I probably could havecontributed to it.
Credible.
Another one, they got everyonesinging a certain uh key, and I
(19:59):
think it's the album before, andthey're all singing this same
key, and that it's that'shundreds of voices where people
sent in the snippets of themsinging in this key, and they
layered them over and over andover and over, and it my gosh,
it created this harmony.
It was just it's surreal, likeangel singing.
So, what does this mean for yourbrand?
(20:21):
Marketing isn't about blastingmessages or ads, it's about
drawing, magnetizing people in.
Instead of asking, how can Isell more?
How can I get people to buy mything?
Ask yourself a question andtake time now and write it out.
How do I create an experiencethat people want to be a part
(20:44):
of?
Now, Chris Martin isn't just arock star, and he would probably
laugh at being called that.
He's a captivating storyteller,a human being who shares his
struggles, quirks, and momentsof joy with his audience.
I was moved by seeing that hewas in Perth a few years ago and
(21:06):
he's got this habit of walkingaround barefoot.
He's always in trackies in at-shirt or a hoodie with a
beanie.
There was a couple havingwedding photos in a park.
And he comes along and justjoins in.
He's not untouchable.
He once said, if you don't letlove in, then you can't really
give it back.
He's that's love.
That's their message, andthey're practicing it
(21:29):
themselves.
It's not a marketing campaign.
This openness about hispersonal journey, how he battles
with self-doubt and thepressures of fame makes him so,
so relatable.
Now, I'm not saying go out andshare all your battles.
It's not for everyone, butbeing authentic is.
Now, you know, candidness likethat just strengthens the bond
(22:04):
with fans.
So, yes, that realness is partof, I guess it's part of their
brand, it's part of theirflavor, but it's endearing and
it's magnetizing and it's realand we love it.
And brands that can hook intothe essence of who they are, the
flavor of who they are, that'sthat's what we're observing
(22:28):
here.
And this is what I'mencouraging myself and your and
you to explore and find that foryourself and be okay with your
flavor, be more than okay withyour flavor.
It's like ice cream, you know,we all have a favorite ice uh
flavor of ice cream, and I can'tstand rum and raisin, but some
(22:52):
people love it.
I love pistachio, I love saltedcaramel.
I don't take it personally.
If you don't like thoseflavors, I don't make make
meaning out of that.
And I don't have to try andsell pistachio to you if you
don't like it.
Can you hear?
Can you hear?
Let's stop worrying about thepeople who aren't buying.
(23:13):
And let's hold the power ofknowing there are buyers out
there, there are pistachioeating, loving, adoring fans out
there.
Don't worry about the ones whodon't like pistachio.
So let's wrap this up with afew final thoughts.
Lead with your art, lead withyour energy, lead with your
(23:34):
message, lead with yourrevolution.
Don't lead with the latesttactics or a strategy.
And we need strategy, but don'tlead with it.
And shift from selling andthinking how can I sell more to
creating something that you'reso excited about that you're so
proud of that you invite people,genuinely invite people to come
(23:58):
in and experience it with you.
And here's some wisdom.
On your platforms, your socialplatforms, look at who you are
following.
And if you're following any ofthe marketer marketers, perhaps
drop a few, the ones that don'tmake you feel inspired or
energized.
Because here's what I do (24:18):
I follow artists, I follow
photographers, I follow peoplethat are for a cause for the
environment, for the planet.
I follow musicians and artistsand actors, and that expands me.
And look at them, look at themanother way, look at what
(24:38):
fascinates you about them.
And you'll see almost like wehave different countries, we
have different cultures ofdifferent worlds.
Each of these people or brandscreate a world that you're drawn
into.
Think beyond just products andservices.
Think about the whole worldthat you're creating that has
(25:02):
products and services, but it'sthe world that you're creating.
A world, your own world.
That's what I'm working on.
Creating a tall poppy worldthat moves people to empower, to
ignite, to equip awakenedleaders in these fields.
Gosh, don't we need goodleaders in the world right now?
(25:25):
Oh my gosh.
And millionaires.
A millionaire is not a monetarynumber, it's a it's an
energetic state.
We need millions.
I mean, look at what thebillionaires are doing on the
planet right now who are notgood people.
We need age of integrity,millionaires ourselves.
(25:47):
And finally, play the longgame.
Influence isn't builtovernight.
This fans aren't builtovernight.
Get more devoted to your craftand trust the buyers will come.
The buyers will come.
You don't have to sell to them,the buyers will come.
And yes, do marketing.
Tell people about what you'redoing.
(26:08):
Don't just go silent becausewhat you're going silent about
is in reaction to the other wayof marketing.
Fall in love so much with yourproduct and your brand and your
services and your story that youcan't help but tell people
about it.
This is about creatingsomething so powerful that
(26:29):
people can't look away.
That's how Coldplay does it.
That's how Chanel does it.
And guess what?
Chanel has survived throughrecession after recession after
depression.
It's been around decades.
This is your revolution.
Lead it.
Build a brand that movespeople.
(26:50):
And you don't need anyoneelse's permission.
You just need to own it.
Oh, and by the way, Coldplay hasbeen on repeat since November
in my house.
It puts me in such an elevatedmood when I listen.
There is a frequency of thosesongs that are just something
(27:12):
else, especially the last threealbums.
They've made a fan in me quitequickly for life.
Well hello.
If we've not met, I'm Merilynand this is my show where I love
to chat with tall poppies I'vemet.
But today I'm sharing a piecethat I created for my Tall Poppy
Society, but I felt it had tobe shared on a bigger scale.
It's a story of why I spent athousand dollars on tickets to
(00:22):
see Coldplay, even though I'dnever purchased an album of
theirs before.
And I may or may not have now areally big crush on Chris
Martin.
Here we go.
Until last year, I had neverbeen to a Coldplay concert.
I honestly hadn't paid themmuch attention.
(00:43):
I lived in London back in theearly 2000s when they were
formed.
But for some reason, I justdidn't really notice them.
I think I kind of blended themwith Oasis and I don't know, it
just I knew all the big songs.
How could you not?
But I wasn't a Coldplayer.
(01:04):
I wasn't a fan, but I wasn'tNOT a fan.
And then last year on socialmedia, I started to notice
interviews with the band,especially Chris Martin, the
lead singer.
His whole presence and way oftalking just captivated me.
I also kept seeing peopleposting videos of their concert
(01:27):
and loving music as I do andloving the emotion that comes
with music.
I started to take notice.
And then when I found that theywere coming to Sydney, I had
this deep craving to go, but allthe tickets were sold out.
And I really, really wanted togo.
I started searching around andI found a company that bought
(01:48):
reseller tickets.
And yeah, there was that riskof it being dodgy.
But I thought I'm gonna take achance because what if it turns
out I spent a thousand dollarson two tickets?
I'm embarrassed to say that.
They weren't VIP tickets, theywere in the stands tickets, they
weren't on the floor where itseems that it that's the place
(02:11):
where you want to be in acoldplay concert.
And I nervously, nervouslywaited for the tickets to be
released.
Only like less than 24 hoursbefore the concert.
The tickets came through and Ihad never purchased a Coldplay
album.
And I didn't even think to goto Spotify and listen to a few
(02:33):
albums for free before theconcert.
And we got there early and Iwatched the stadium fill up, and
I learned so much in a coupleof hours.
I had no idea that they wereall about sustainability, and
they had all these fun, I mean,you a cynic would call it
gimmicky, but they had these funways of generating power for
(02:56):
the concerts, like uh thatentertained people as their
place was filling up.
They had like bicycles thatthey could you could go and
ride, stationary bicycles thatwould generate uh energy.
They had these fun stages thatsort of moved like trampolines,
and then they would havedance-offs and put the picture
of the people off the bigscreen.
(03:18):
When you came in, they gave youthese wristbands that were LED
lights, and they put up stats ofwhich city or which country was
the highest in recycling them,in other words, giving them back
at the end of the night.
It was quite phenomenal.
And then the support acts werepeople you didn't know.
(03:39):
They had searched out littleknown people with talent who
probably would never get achance to be on stage.
And then the show itself.
Have you ever been to aColdplay concert?
It would melt a stone heart.
There was this sense ofexcitement and love and
(04:00):
possibility.
They contained the energy inthis place, and you just
thought, oh my gosh, if we couldget the whole world to one of
these concerts right now,perhaps it would change things.
And yeah, the music and theperformance and the lights and
the LED wristbands going off atcertain times, and then telling
(04:21):
us to put our phones away andjust enjoy the moment and the
fireworks going off at the righttime, and these giant planets
uh floating around and big ballsfloating around and streamers,
and it was all so well-timed andjust spectacular.
But it was it was more than justa show.
(04:43):
This was their passion, theirlife, their love, their craft.
And it wasn't about them, itwas about us collectively
experiencing this as someone inthe crowd, in the audience.
We felt as much a part of theshow as the people on the stage.
And if I went back evenfurther, we decided to uh not
(05:06):
drive in because, well, parkingwas sold out, and we caught
public transport.
We caught the train from thecentral part of Sydney and had
Cold play on the front, youknow, in the destination in
lights on the train.
And everyone was in this buzzymood.
I was just like gobsmacked.
And as we were going from thetrain, from the central place, I
(05:29):
think it stopped one otherstop, picked up more people, and
then went to the it was whatwas the Olympic Stadium where
the concert was.
They were playing Coldplaysongs the whole way, and people
were singing, and it it was justan experience I've never had on
that scale before.
And you can probably hear asI'm talking that I went from
(05:50):
just observing and because I'dheard of how great they uh this
concert was, and I was socurious, into a major fan.
It wasn't just a concert.
It ended up being a masterclassin, I'm gonna say it wow, a
masterclass in branding, wow,presence, influence.
And here's the thing (06:13):
I never received a single ad, email, an
email sequence, a marketingfunnel, nothing nudging me
towards that concert.
And yet there I was, utterlycaptivated, completely drawn
into experience.
I didn't even know I needed.
Cold play doesn't market the waywe've been told we should.
(06:36):
They create and they invitepeople into something much
bigger.
So I want to talk in thisepisode, this perhaps class,
this teaching, thinking aboutthis, feeling into about this
for your own brand.
So as you're listening to mywords and I'm learning here with
(06:57):
you, I'm reframing here withyou.
And this is part of our merginginto the age of integrity, not
just the age of success forsuccess full stop.
It's about growing wild orbreaking free from anything that
feels tired for you.
What if you could move into thekind of brand presence that
(07:20):
moves people?
You don't have to sell.
People spend a thousand dollarsfor a few hours at a concert
like I did as my first Coldplaypurchase.
So for years we've been toldthat marketing is a formula, a
funnel, an email sequence, alead magnet, a freebie.
And then we have to nurturethem and then we have to sell to
(07:42):
them.
And here's something else I'veobserved.
Much online marketing is just amarketers selling to other
marketers.
It's a self-contained kind ofnetworking loop of tactics,
disconnected from art, passion,and cause and purpose, and
artistry, and presence, andcopla.
(08:04):
They don't do any of that, andyet they sell out stadiums, not
by pushing, not by chasing, butby creating an experience people
can't resist, and peoplenaturally share on social media
and are so excited about it thatpeople go, I want to go there
too, because look at thatexperience.
(08:25):
I want that experience.
And at the beginning, no, theydidn't have this presence, this
world, they didn't have that,but they kept plugging away.
If you can, go and Google avideo, it's probably on YouTube
or Instagram, a video of ChrisMartin in the early days.
(08:48):
He has braces on his teeth,he's probably in his very early
twenties, and he's making astatement that one day
everyone's gonna know theirname.
It's interesting hearing him,if you could find another clip
where he's embarrassed aboutthat and he's sharing how back
then he didn't really believethat.
He was hoping that.
(09:08):
But they kept going, they keptgoing, they kept going, they
kept going.
And unfortunately, the way wesee things is we don't have that
tenacity.
We're like, well, I didn't, Ididn't have anyone show up, so
I'm doing something wrong.
We give up, we try anotherstrategy instead of just getting
better and better and better atour craft and creating
something that is just movespeople.
(09:29):
If I create a product or aservice that is just emotionally
irresistible and I communicateit, I don't just play the music
in my garage and not let anyonehear, not tell anyone it, well,
I can't lose, and neither canyou.
So this leads to my nextthought.
(09:49):
Luxury brands and the cinema,the movie industry operate the
same way.
Think about Chanel or Gucci.
Do they chase customers?
Do they even have Black Fridaysales?
No.
They create a world.
When you walk into a Chanelboutique, there's no hard sell,
there's an invitation into anexperience.
(10:10):
The lighting, the atmosphere,the exclusivity.
It's all designed to make youfeel something.
And depending on your sense ofpersonal power, you can either
feel welcome and wanted in thereor you can feel intimidated and
small.
But the presence is so strongthat people aspire to be part of
it without needing constantreminders or ads shouting for
(10:30):
attention.
I challenge you to go to thehigh-end fashion, luxury fashion
house that you love.
Maybe it's Chanel, maybe it'sGucci, maybe it's Yves Saint
Laurent.
Sign up to their email list andthen look at their emails.
It's minimal.
They don't sell, they let theproducts wow you.
And what arises in you is thebuyer.
(10:53):
I want that.
It's aspirational.
And whether you've got a luxurybrand or not, it's about
recognizing that our feelingsimpact our buying decisions.
When we're standing in front ofthe cheese cabinet, we use
emotion to choose which cheesewe want.
How do we want to feel whenwe're eating that cheese?
(11:15):
And even making a decisionbased on price, this is related
to a feeling of safety.
It's always, always, alwaysemotion, not logic.
Some of you know that I've beenworking with a winery in my
local area.
You see, I'm having a littleadventure living in the country
for a time, and I'm living on alittle farm just outside a
(11:40):
historical village.
And I also live on the roadthat goes into a small town that
is known for its wineries, itscheese making, honey making.
And I have been working withone of the older wineries.
They've got a really good name.
They produce very good winesthat have won a lot of awards
(12:03):
and a lot of accolades.
I have been uh working in theircellar door.
It's been an amazing experiencebecause I've been doing some
marketing with them.
I meet a lot of people, I loveit.
And so they're coming in tobuy, and we give them a tasting
experience.
And I've been around to a lotof the other wineries in the
area, and I so enjoy going todifferent places and
(12:27):
experiencing tasting, uh,tasting the wines.
And it's really interesting tosee how the different wineries
approach it, and the ones that II love and the ones that I
would never go back to.
And in wine tasting, it's anemotional experience.
First of all, people come in inthis buying mood.
(12:49):
I don't have to sell the wineat all, I just have to give them
an experience.
But what's really interesting,I'll have two people sitting
side by side, and one will lovethat Shiraz and say it's the
best Shiraz they've ever had.
And the next person will go, ohno, it's average for me.
Like I cannot decide or judgepeople's taste.
(13:10):
And that's the same with us.
Instead, we've been taught foryears.
How many of us have been taughtwe've got to overcome
objections?
Oh my gosh.
What if I said to that personwho didn't like the Shiraz,
well, I need to overcome yournot that I would say it to them,
but I what if I went intoovercoming objections all of a
sudden?
That would be a laugh.
(13:31):
The same goes for the movieindustry.
Films don't chase audiences atall.
When did you last get an emailsaying, come to this movie?
And here's bullet points andemojis telling us why we should
go to the movie.
No, we might if we belong tosay, like I go to see movies
here in Australia at events andI sign up to their club, so I
(13:53):
get points when I go to see themovie, and you can spend that on
popcorn or on free tickets andthings like that.
And I'll get an email from themsaying, Here are the movies
coming up.
And I'm like, yes, what'scoming up?
Exciting.
But what do they do to buildanticipation and intrigue and
storytelling and emotion?
They put out trailers, they putout teasers.
(14:14):
Often I'll get a ping on myphone and it's from my son.
And actually, it's not a ping,it's a chewbacker growl.
My son is the only one who hasa custom uh ringtone.
And he'll go, Mom, thistrailer's out, and he'll send me
the link uh to YouTube wherethe trailer's been released.
(14:36):
So, how are you going?
Is this kind of shaking you upright now?
And if you're in the Tall PoppySociety, we're gonna gather and
talk about these points, answerquestions, nut it out how can
we apply this in our marketing?
Okay, let's get back to a littlebit more about Coldplay and
(14:57):
them as a brand.
Look, Coldplay success isn'tabout strategy, it's about
sincerity.
And I honestly believe thatmore the more sincere that they
have been, the faster the firehas spread.
They don't just put on a show,they connect with us.
That one stage Chris Martinstops and he and by the way,
(15:21):
they have two platforms.
They have the main stage, andthen halfway through the show
they go down to the otherplatform so that they get the
people at the other end of thestadium, they get to see them as
well.
And at one stage, you'reprobably seeing this uh in video
clips, is that they put thespotlight on people around the
stadium and and Chris Martinjust he has fun with them and he
(15:41):
makes up a little song aboutwhoever is on the screen right
then.
It's amazing.
And then at another point, he'ssitting at the at the uh piano
and he bites people up from thefloor and they have a song
request.
So he goes back in the archivesand sings one of his songs.
And when I was uh at theconcert, a couple of girls had
(16:02):
lost their father to cancer andthey sang that song, and the
girls were in tears, and therewas connection there.
Chris Martin, he look heembodies this humble magnetism
that makes fans feel likethey're part of you know
something real.
I when I look at him, I feellike he's my friend.
And I guess the whole worldthinks that.
(16:23):
Billions do.
Google some of the things hesaid.
He's such a peaceful character.
Life is beautiful in all itscolours, even the darker ones,
they're here for a reason.
I love that.
About motions that are allkinds of weather.
You know, this kind ofperspective resonates through
their music and interactions,and he shares how he he does
(16:44):
practices like the 12-minutething every morning where he
takes a piece of paper andscribbles out all his thoughts,
all his pains, all these fears,and then either burns it or
flushes, and he says he's beendoing this for years, and it's
part of how he keeps his energyclean.
See, authenticity like that,where he shares how he what he
goes through, is he's not about,oh, let's put on this bravado.
(17:05):
I am the rock star behindsunglasses.
You can see the sparkle in hiseyes.
Gosh, it's refreshing.
Now, luxury brands understandthis too.
People don't just buy ChristianDior, they buy the story, the
heritage, the feeling of wearingsomething timeless.
And in the movie industry, theydon't try and appeal to
(17:29):
everybody and they don't talkabout niching.
They just create their movieand know that it'll appeal to
the ones that love it.
And that's okay.
Do you think the creator of themovie, the director, you think
they care?
No.
So why are we so worried aboutthe non-buyers?
They create this for the buyer,for the fan.
(17:52):
You only need to sell to thefans, not to the non-fans.
Instead, we spend so muchemotional energy having to learn
sales skills, trying to sell tosomeone and overcome objections
to people who aren't fans oraren't buyers.
And then if we do convert thosepeople who aren't buyers, who
just buy it because we'vediscounted it all, that we've
(18:13):
said all the right things in asales strategy, or they're bored
out of guilt, or they're boredout of need, or they're bored
out of fear, they're not ourideal fans.
Actually, they're not fans atall.
Doesn't this bring relief?
What does this mean for yourbrand, your business, your art?
Am I trying to just sellbecause that's what I've been
(18:35):
told I must do because I've gota business?
Or are we making people feelsomething?
Let's learn from differentindustries and trust, trust,
trust, trust, trust that notonly will it work, but it will
bring such personal and customersatisfaction and fulfillment.
(18:56):
Now, Coldplay doesn't rely onconventional marketing, they
create experiences.
For example, their album ImmuneMusic, which I adore, they held
listening events in kind ofsurreal locations around the
world, partnered with onlineplatforms, meeting fans where
(19:16):
they already are, and makingthem part of the experience.
They did that thing with DickVan Dyck.
That is just so endearing.
They did another one where theyput out into the world an
invitation for artists tocreate, video artists to create
snippets for this song.
And then they stitched them alltogether and re-released the
(19:39):
song again or a video on onYouTube and on their website
with uh this this like visualfeast, and it was contributed
from well, I probably could havecontributed to it.
Credible.
Another one, they got everyonesinging a certain uh key, and I
(19:59):
think it's the album before, andthey're all singing this same
key, and that it's that'shundreds of voices where people
sent in the snippets of themsinging in this key, and they
layered them over and over andover and over, and it my gosh,
it created this harmony.
It was just it's surreal, likeangel singing.
So, what does this mean for yourbrand?
(20:21):
Marketing isn't about blastingmessages or ads, it's about
drawing, magnetizing people in.
Instead of asking, how can Isell more?
How can I get people to buy mything?
Ask yourself a question andtake time now and write it out.
How do I create an experiencethat people want to be a part
(20:44):
of?
Now, Chris Martin isn't just arock star, and he would probably
laugh at being called that.
He's a captivating storyteller,a human being who shares his
struggles, quirks, and momentsof joy with his audience.
I was moved by seeing that hewas in Perth a few years ago and
(21:06):
he's got this habit of walkingaround barefoot.
He's always in trackies in at-shirt or a hoodie with a
beanie.
There was a couple havingwedding photos in a park.
And he comes along and justjoins in.
He's not untouchable.
He once said, if you don't letlove in, then you can't really
give it back.
He's that's love.
That's their message, andthey're practicing it
(21:29):
themselves.
It's not a marketing campaign.
This openness about hispersonal journey, how he battles
with self-doubt and thepressures of fame makes him so,
so relatable.
Now, I'm not saying go out andshare all your battles.
It's not for everyone, butbeing authentic is.
Now, you know, candidness likethat just strengthens the bond
(22:04):
with fans.
So, yes, that realness is partof, I guess it's part of their
brand, it's part of theirflavor, but it's endearing and
it's magnetizing and it's realand we love it.
And brands that can hook intothe essence of who they are, the
flavor of who they are, that'sthat's what we're observing
(22:28):
here.
And this is what I'mencouraging myself and your and
you to explore and find that foryourself and be okay with your
flavor, be more than okay withyour flavor.
It's like ice cream, you know,we all have a favorite ice uh
flavor of ice cream, and I can'tstand rum and raisin, but some
(22:52):
people love it.
I love pistachio, I love saltedcaramel.
I don't take it personally.
If you don't like thoseflavors, I don't make make
meaning out of that.
And I don't have to try andsell pistachio to you if you
don't like it.
Can you hear?
Can you hear?
Let's stop worrying about thepeople who aren't buying.
(23:13):
And let's hold the power ofknowing there are buyers out
there, there are pistachioeating, loving, adoring fans out
there.
Don't worry about the ones whodon't like pistachio.
So let's wrap this up with afew final thoughts.
Lead with your art, lead withyour energy, lead with your
(23:34):
message, lead with yourrevolution.
Don't lead with the latesttactics or a strategy.
And we need strategy, but don'tlead with it.
And shift from selling andthinking how can I sell more to
creating something that you'reso excited about that you're so
proud of that you invite people,genuinely invite people to come
(23:58):
in and experience it with you.
And here's some wisdom.
On your platforms, your socialplatforms, look at who you are
following.
And if you're following any ofthe marketer marketers, perhaps
drop a few, the ones that don'tmake you feel inspired or
energized.
Because here's what I do (24:18):
I follow artists, I follow
photographers, I follow peoplethat are for a cause for the
environment, for the planet.
I follow musicians and artistsand actors, and that expands me.
And look at them, look at themanother way, look at what
(24:38):
fascinates you about them.
And you'll see almost like wehave different countries, we
have different cultures ofdifferent worlds.
Each of these people or brandscreate a world that you're drawn
into.
Think beyond just products andservices.
Think about the whole worldthat you're creating that has
(25:02):
products and services, but it'sthe world that you're creating.
A world, your own world.
That's what I'm working on.
Creating a tall poppy worldthat moves people to empower, to
ignite, to equip awakenedleaders in these fields.
Gosh, don't we need goodleaders in the world right now?
(25:25):
Oh my gosh.
And millionaires.
A millionaire is not a monetarynumber, it's a it's an
energetic state.
We need millions.
I mean, look at what thebillionaires are doing on the
planet right now who are notgood people.
We need age of integrity,millionaires ourselves.
(25:47):
And finally, play the longgame.
Influence isn't builtovernight.
This fans aren't builtovernight.
Get more devoted to your craftand trust the buyers will come.
The buyers will come.
You don't have to sell to them,the buyers will come.
And yes, do marketing.
Tell people about what you'redoing.
(26:08):
Don't just go silent becausewhat you're going silent about
is in reaction to the other wayof marketing.
Fall in love so much with yourproduct and your brand and your
services and your story that youcan't help but tell people
about it.
This is about creatingsomething so powerful that
(26:29):
people can't look away.
That's how Coldplay does it.
That's how Chanel does it.
And guess what?
Chanel has survived throughrecession after recession after
depression.
It's been around decades.
This is your revolution.
Lead it.
Build a brand that movespeople.
(26:50):
And you don't need anyoneelse's permission.
You just need to own it.
Oh, and by the way, Coldplay hasbeen on repeat since November
in my house.
It puts me in such an elevatedmood when I listen.
There is a frequency of thosesongs that are just something
(27:12):
else, especially the last threealbums.
They've made a fan in me quitequickly for life.
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