Welcome to The Beat by Rockstar CMO. I’m Ian Truscott, not a rock star, but a CMO and trusted advisor, and in this newsletter, I’d like to share a mix of marketing street knowledge that I hope will help unlock the rockstar marketer in you.
Hello!
A couple of weeks ago, Chris Brogan, an author, speaker, and coach type chap, posted something on LinkedIn about how professional his coaching materials should look.
“If you were evaluating a coach and he sent you coaching materials, do you want them to look fancy?”
I don’t know Chris personally, just followed him on the socials for what seems like forever, but aside from seeing someone who’s kind of a big deal have this anxiety about his brand, and the interesting comments, it pulled at a thread - how professional do we need to look in 2025?
There is a lot of discussion about what we should or shouldn’t be sharing on LinkedIn. Some folks are getting excited by how much engagement a picture of their kids got, while others are frowning at anything that resembles what we’d normally see on Facebook, and let’s not get started on whether we should be sharing our politics.
I know, I know…
We need to be the buzzword of the 2020’s - authentic.
But I quite like what Seth Godin says about authenticity, in his book The Practice:
Authenticity is a crock. Authenticity is overrated. Authenticity is a trap. Because the last time you were authentic, you were three months old, lying in diapers with poop in them, crying. Ever since then, you have done things with intent.
The idea that we bring our “whole self” to work and that platform is, of course, folly; we probably don’t bring our whole selves to a night out with chums or even to our loved ones.
We are constantly curating.
But, professionally, where is the line in 2025?
What is your “authentic”?
I recently decided to refresh my headshots and photos for my website.
Do I go with the hoody, the rockstar CMO, the guy that swears in his weekly blog, or the more buttoned-up shirt and jacket, of the more corporate me?
Of course, we took a bunch of photos of both, but now I have them - when is the right time to use one versus the other?
And this isn’t just about me and my appearance online, if you are hanging your shingle, or building a new small company, how professional - or corporate, shiny, laden with business speak - should that brand be?
Too much, and you look expensive, enterprisey and possibly quite dull.
Too little and you look unprofessional and not someone to trust to solve the problem, regardless of how cheap it is.
You have to strike the right balance of what is “authentic” and appear approachable, human, and yet corporately professional.
Not easy, but the topic did give me the opportunity to share a bit of Artic Monkeys and “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” for the subject line this week.
The question is - how good do you want to look on the dancefloor?
Would love to know what you think….
Cheers!
Ian
—
Ian Truscott
Host & Chief Bottle Washer - Rockstar CMO podcast
Managing Partner | Velocity B
New photo - what do you think?
This week’s street knowledge
Some things from me, my chums and what inspired me this week.
This week on the podcast…
Get your Marketing Mojo Working
Not from 1984….