Why every marketer should be more pirate - Sam Conniff

In this episode I'm joined by Sam Conniff, the author of Be More Pirate, creator of Uncertainty Experts and stand-up comedian. I speak to Sam about what marketers can learn from the pirates (which is a genuinely interesting look back in time), how we can deal with uncertain times and find out what his best joke is in his new hobby, stand-up comedy.

To win a copy of Sam's book, you just have to guess the number of books he's sold. Send me a message on LinkedIn with your guess.

What we covered:

• Why hot pink is the colour of a punk rebellion
• Creating a challenger brand pirate operation inside a large soft drink company
• The fear and loneliness of the challenger
• Why piracy inspired a book about being an entrepreneur
• How today is like the golden age of privacy
• The forward thinking nature of Piracy that are relevant today
• How piracy is a creative rebellion
• Pioneering fair pay, equal relationships, insurance scheme, democratic process
• How the pirate flag became the worlds first super brand
• How ‘surrender or die’ was a very effective strap line
• Protecting the pirate brand guidelines
• The power of shared values in victory
• What do you do with no money
• Why values based results never materialised
• How fear drives decision making
• Navigating yourself off the map
• The pirates that work in the Navy
• How the pirate code ensured strong accountability
• The role of advertising in a post consumer society
• The fantasy of the ‘business plan’ compared to lived values
• What are you willing to fight for?
• The best modern day pirates
• How pirates end up becoming the navy
• Turning land-fill firehoses into luxury items
• The 5 Pirate Principles also known as the 5 ‘Rrrrr’s’
• The upheaval that led to becoming an expert on Uncertainty
• What you can learn from gang members in prison
• How the pandemic was predictable
• The truth in most situations is ‘I don’t know’
• There is discovery in doubt
• The profound impact of increasing your uncertainty tolerance
• Sam shares a surprising new talent