Gary Vaynerchuk is someone I admire hugely for his passion for marketing, wine and the possibilities that social media offer to companies and individuals. His latest book 'The Thank You Economy' is a manifesto for the power of authenticity and honesty in marketing and I can easily see how it could be written off as just another book about social media, Twitter and Facebook.
In fact Gary's message is much more than that. Gary's book is part of a wider trend against mass and push marketing and towards genuine engagement with customers and slightly old fashioned marketing traits albeit using modern platforms like Social Media. It's about the power of Word of Mouth, of transforming customers into advocates. The highest praise I can give this book is that if Benjamin Franklin were alive today and writing about marketing, this is the kind of book he would have written.
Having said that I am not a fan of Gary's writing. Gary is an incredible verbal communicator and his passion, chutzpah and humor get lost in the written format of a book. I don't think this book will age well but the ideas contained within it will. It's like seeing a great live band and then being disappointed by their studio album.
Now if Gary and I were sharing a bottle of Pinot Noir now he would probably be verbally laying into my opinions of his book and I would take it in good humor. However I would still recommend you read the book or even better watch one of his talks online because the ideas that he crystalizes in them are part of the future of marketing.
Get your copy of The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk here. (Amazon affiliate link).
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcqCAqZtedI]
