Sometimes we take the things we know and have learned in our careers or lives for granted, and the Art of Marketing is one of these things.
At a recent workshop I conducted I introduced learners to a concept I learned whilst at University, but this concept is far from new…This concept is ‘The Art of War’ by Sun Tzu.
Sun Tzu was a Chinese high ranking military strategist and he wrote the book ‘The Art of War’ in around 400BC!!!!!!
This book is AMAZING, for almost 2000 years it was used purely for military operations but more recently it has been used by business and marketing strategists to understand the concept of corporate strategy and how it could be viewed as the modern warfare.
Sun Tzu’s concepts include planning, positioning, attacking, defense, using intelligence and choosing tactics….All of the things us marketers look to do when developing a strategic marketing plan. Sun Tzu’s concepts are so close that his text is now on recommended reading lists in business schools throughout the world…
Sun Tzu’s works have been made immortal from the multitude of quotes to come out of his text focusing on:
leadership; ‘A leader leads by example, not by force’ – Sun Tzu
Competition; ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’ – Sun Tzu
Strategic choice; ‘Opportunities multiply as they are seized’ – Sun Tzu
Internal Analysis; ‘Know yourself and you will win all battles’ – Sun Tzu
I could go on…Google him, see what you find!
Cool huh?
