As an entrepreneur, I always knew marketing was important to growing a business, but I didn't realize that I had other options than "becoming a brand." This book is a quick, fun read that lays out the basics of how to position yourself in the market, figure out your audience, articulate why people should care and how to best tell your story. Full of real world examples featuring lets of interesting and diverse businesses and organizations (like art museums, The Rainforest Alliance, music, Jet.com, Uber/Lyft, Dos Equis etc). The idea that you are a tattoo (a craft beer) instead of a brand (like Budweiser) is much more interesting and relevant to me, and gives flexibility as opposed to rigidity.

Normally I go through marketing books ready to pick them apart for not having what I needed. It's a bad habit but I formed it through reading a number of marketing how-tos.

Sure, they normally have great narrative, fun stories, and good advice, but not all of them can keep my attention.

So here we go.

Color photos. Hmmm. Yeah, they're here and look.good.

Space to write your ideas. Check.

Guided questions? Yep.

Bullet points. Authors always forget the quick-reference bullet points. I thought for sure I had it on that one. My thumbs were poised. Then I got to the last.chapter of next steps. Dang it.

Okay, fine, I concede this is a really good marketing book! I also super liked picking what kind of tattoo my business would be and reading about the suggested marketing tips.

It was fun and useful. If you have a business, the next thing to ask is if you have a brand. Use the questions in the book-you'll probably be surprised.

Love a book filled with amazing anecdotes from the author’s 30 years in marketing. My favorite was his behind-the-scenes look at the campaign for the 1997 Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art: “I wrote ’Love it. Hate it. Don’t miss it’… We looked at each other, and we knew we had the campaign.”

The author writes about the complicated elements of marketing in very simple language. Great section on how Apple used UX to make the iPhone, how Starbucks used it to make the same drinks you can get all over the world.

The best example of a tattoo in the book is Trader Joe’s, which is all about authenticity. The author writes: “You can’t get every item a household needs there, and they don’t pretend you can. Instead, Trader Joe’s messaging says they understand people have different dimensions, they appreciate this diversity, and they embrace the challenge of meeting such disparate needs.”

A quick, smart and fun read.

I got an ARC of the book and found it engaging. The are several good new tools that I found and some I knew already. I think this book is good for startups or SMB companies like the author suggests. Overall it is a very interesting approach to call small brands tattoos and big brands real brands. It makes sense due to budgets they have to support marketing efforts. There is a good chapter in UX and some interesting pages in sales too.

Clint White has brought marketing into 2022 while keeping traditional marketing processes' blueprints. When Clint White explained why you have to look at your business as a "tattoo" because hard truth, you are not a brand, I was left speechless and had to dive into the entire book.

The facts and gems shared in Tattoos Not Brands will definitely help any entrepreneur grow their company in a way that will not let them fall short of themselves but do justice and set realistic goals in marketing and growth to propel your business to new and better standing. The website and resources created for Tattoos Not Brands, it's a guidebook so you are also able to fill in some prompts at the end of the chapters to work as your read-along. These are also huge bonuses and helpful that will help your business and keep you focused and on track.

Tattoos not brands

First marketing book I've read that doesn't try and make the small business compete or copy the big brands. Shows how to use their strengths to make their own path in their niche.

There's a step by step strategy to help you identify your market and how best to target and serve them.

The book is jam packed with information and many working examples of how approaching things as a tattoo,not a brand helped these businesses grow.

I've read many of these types of books that give general info, but they often fall short. The author has a wealth of knowledge and experience that can back up his advice. Highly recommend.

I've been in marketing for many years and like to look at new perspectives to help me, even if it might not apply to me directly.

While this is an excellent book for someone newer to marketing, I highly recommend it for any skill level based on many unique points and perspective. The beauty about marketing is it's creativity - and this book may just give you some new ideas or approaches you may not have thought of. It's also a great refresher or "reset" for those who have several years of experience.