Who is Seth Godin and why should I care?

Seth Godin is an American author of business books and a popular speaker with appearances at Google, TED and a number of charities. His blog is one of the most popular blogs in the world with more than 80,000 subscribers. Godin popularized the topic of permission marketing.

He graduated from Tufts University in 1982 with a degree in computer science and philosophy. He later earned his MBA in marketing from Stanford Business School. From 1983 to 1986, he worked as a brand manager at Spinnaker Software. For a time Godin commuted every week from California and Boston to do both his new job and complete his MBA.

After leaving Spinnaker Software in 1986, Godin became a book packager. It was in the same offices that Godin met Mark Hurst, and founded Yoyodyne. After a few years Godin sold the book packaging business to his employees and focused his efforts on Yoyodyne, one of the first online marketing companies. It was with Yoyodyne that Godin came up with the concept of permission marketing. For a period of time, Godin served as a columnist for Fast Company. In 1998, Godin sold Yoyodyne to Yahoo! for $30 million and became its vice president of direct marketing, a position he held until 2000.

A couple of months ago Seth started a new social media network called www.Triiibes.com and limited membership to 3,500 people. I was number 1,264 or thereabouts in that number of members. At least one of the case studies I wrote about tribes will be published in an upcoming ebook he'll be publishing along with his latest book, "Tribes." I'm waiting to hear if I was one of 100 people selected to attend the launch of his book in October in New York.

Why should any of you care? Because what you're witnessing at Media General, newspapers in general and The Danville Register & Bee in particular is what is causing the demise of big business. Why? Because corporations have quit caring about their "tribe," the people who follow them, buy their product and support their business.

The Danville Register & Bee has done just about all it can to alienate its readers, its advertisers and the community. They have put money ahead of integrity and advertising dollars ahead of duty. Based on business models the experts are studying now - they have nowhere to go but down. With no real leadership to speak of, and the leadership that's there now refusing to apologize for its abuse of women and a hostile workplace (I mean c'mon. The employees have to use the parking lot for a bathroom and the most critical elements of the paper - obits and ads are sent to Lynchburg! And editorial is going - employees say - to India!! Is that a company that gives a damn about Danville??!) No.

If you have a small business you need to be aware of how the economy is changing, how marketing is changing and how you need to be avoiding the same mistakes The Danville Register & Bee has made - by NOT alienating your customers.

"Tribes" is a new model - one that leading business experts nationwide are agreeing is where business is headed. It's not just business. It's churches, government - any organization where a group forms around common values. I've started several new blogs and will be posting their addresses here. In the meantime, remember the name "Seth Godin." You'll be hearing a lot more of it.