In season 7, we are shining some light on “the dark side of marketing.” It’s no secret that some questionable ideas and products are marketed brilliantly. In the spirit of “why should the devil have the best tunes?”, we want to prise the best ideas from the fingers of the scoundrels and put them to good use.

In this week’s episode, we discuss the $100m, 40% margin business of Ashley Madison — an online dating service that specializes in hooking up people who are already married!

In this episode you will learn:

  • How to look at your needs-based segmentation possibilities to uncover ethical opportunities that are hidden because of your fears and pre-judgements
  • How companies in crop protection, consumer medical products and food service have effectively used courageous thinking to great marketing success
  • How this approach can lead to marketing gold: a powerful and untapped position in customer’s minds.

Here’s some quotes from the team’s discussion:

“An unwillingness to be judged can keep you from considering some powerful, ethical and profitable strategies.”

“Wow Sean, you seem to know a lot about online dating services!”

“If you are going to go all-in with a positioning, you can’t let that drift — it will dilute your positioning.”

We hope you enjoy the podcast!