“The Conscious Marketer” by Jim Joseph

The Conscious Marketer

Jim Joseph
Mascot Books (2020)
ISBN: 9781684018710
Reviewed by Chelsy Scherba for Reader Views (06/2021)

“The Conscious Marketer” by Jim Joseph is every business person’s guide to enhancing their advertising practices in today’s world. Mr. Joseph leverages his expert knowledge and experience to teach you the tips and tricks most successful marketing companies are using today to help you decide whether or not these techniques are something you should start implementing in your business. The author walks you through supporting a cause that fits your brand, explains “the millennial mindset” and how to be truly inclusive (while avoiding pitfalls), among other important topics. This book provides real-world examples of successes and #Fails that will get you thinking about your next marketing campaign and how to make it a success.

I really enjoyed how easy this book was to read, absorb, and digest. The author unapologetically adopts a conversational tone that makes it seem like he’s really there to talk you through the topics he discusses. I prefer this approach to learning over bland, overly technical reading. In my opinion, it made it much easier to remember the concepts and apply them to the marketing projects I’m currently working on.

This book is all about how to market “consciously,” an approach many brands like Disney, Amazon, and Target are implementing today. What that basically means is seeing a political or social issue that the company perceives as being important to its target audience and taking a very public stance on it. It was interesting to see how companies previously remained neutral on hot-button issues of the day; yet, the author makes some compelling points as to why that may no longer be a wise choice for businesses now, especially in the long term.

I found another particularly valuable topic was the way in which different brands offering the same basic service, such as coffee or skin care, can reach different audiences through emotional connection. Mr. Joseph shows the importance of knowing your market, staying consistent in that niche, and building a community of lifetime loyalists to your brand. Furthermore, he offers brands advice on how to monitor the topics that are important to the people you’re serving via social media, news outlets, and market research.

While this book mostly provides examples of conscientious marketing from well-established brands like McDonalds, the author insists this book is valuable even for small businesses. Jim Joseph will help you get the knowledge you need to make the best choices for your advertising strategy in the easiest way possible; in other words, he’s found your “pain-point” with regards to learning the ins and outs of conscientious marketing and provided the solution with this instructional gem.