Another great Post by Seth Godin as I write my blog on the Acela to way to Boston for Webmasterworld Pubcon and thanks to my Tmobile GC79 Wireless card.  CEO’s and CIO’s of big brands often act like Kings:

"The Times and other outlets have been running a spate of stories about executive pay. CEOs who walked away with $100,000 a day paychecks, CEOs making millions of dollars at companies in trouble, CEOs with jets and houses and limos… It’s like being a king, instead of having a job."

"….The thing is, if you market like a king, you’re no longer likely to see results. Kings like to bark orders, wear crowns, eat at banquets and behead their critics."

But being a King usually means being aloof.  Seth thinks the best thing for a marketer to do is to be modest, not think or act like anything is coming to you.

"…If you market like a peasant, always a supplicant, always aware of your low station in life, you’re more likely to earn attention. Yes, you need the confidence and perhaps the bearing of a king. But the best marketers today appear to be those that accept the fact that they have no birthright, they weren’t awarded the right to attention. And, who knows, over time, they might earn their way up the ladder–to king."

If you put the needs of your target audience ahead of your own, you can become the King (but maybe not an aloof one).