brandknewmag.com
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But let’s take 10 of his more well-thumbed
quotes and see how they apply.
1. Many a small thing has been made large by the
right kind of advertising.
Seth Godin remarked that today’s publishing, with its
instant electronic availability, has made the physical
book a trophy of sorts, a kind of souvenir. Twain was 100
years ahead of Seth. All of Twain’s major titles were sold
by subscription in advance, by an army of sales agents
going door to door with prepared pitches. They carried
a luxuriant prospectus of the book’s content, with lavish
illustrations and various selections of custom binding. The
books were considerably more expensive than the editions
that appeared much later in bookstores. His advertisements
knocked on your door and said “Howdy do!”
2. Clothes make the man. Naked people have
little or no influence on society.
The white suit, the tousled hair, the omnipresent cigar...
Twain knew that his look and bearing were part of his
success. His wildly successful lecture-circuit tours—at which
he made multichannel marketing of his writing—were an
object lesson in his mastery of making the most of his
physical presence. He used expert timing, expression, and
gesture to entrance his audience, and his use of pauses
was legendary. He clothed his brand in pure Twain.
3. The human Ʌ