Unreadable, unteachable — Kelford Labs Daily

“I can’t think of any good books on how to make ads. Most of them are the unreadable in full pursuit of the unteachable.”

— Howard Gossage

Howard Luck Gossage was called “The Socrates of San Francisco.” He popularized Canadian media philosopher Marshall McLuhan and his theories in America, and he was one of the most celebrated advertisers of his day.

And he thought you couldn’t teach someone how to make a great advertising.

I kind of agree.

I know, that sounds strange, because isn’t that what this newsletter is all about? Isn’t the whole point to teach you how to do more effective marketing?

Well, yes and no, because I’d argue that my greater goal is to get you to try to do more effective marketing.

My goal is to get you to practice.

Marketing is a type of public performance, and we only get better at that sort of thing by practicing. By preparing. By putting ourselves in the situation, over and over again, but better prepared and practiced than last time.

So we get better and better at the performance.

Remember: If you want to get better at marketing, you have to do more of it. You have to do it consistently, confidently, and publicly.

Otherwise, you’ll never earn the signals you need to improve.

Reading marketing books, taking courses, and downloading templates but never actually putting things out into the world is no different than a hobby. It’s playing marketing, not actually performing it.

To get better, we’ve got to get out there.

I suppose you could say everything else is the unreadable in full pursuit of the unteachable.

Reply to this email to tell me what you think, or ask any questions!

Kelford Inc. shows communicators the way to always knowing what to say.