Morgan Spurlock: The Greatest TED Talk Ever Sold

Are you doing marketing by the book? Or are you doing new things, being open, and taking on risks to make your marketing better? That’s what Morgan Spurlock talks about in his TED talk. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, think again. I’m sure you’ve heard about that unforgettable documentary, Super Size Me, where some guy tries to survive one whole month eating nothing but fast food. Yup, that was him.

Morgan Spurlock is used to being out of the box and risky. He’s big on transparency when it comes to media, and in fact, his new project did just that.

In his latest documentary, he reveals how modern marketing and advertising shape how we consume media, form opinions, and buy products. But that’s not pushing the envelope enough for Spurlock, it seems. He also wants the brands themselves to fund the documentary, a documentary that had a non-zero chance of ruining the reputation of these same brands.

He plugs his own documentaries in the talk (which is just good marketing sense), but he also tells us that marketing is different now. With leaks, hacks, Facebook, and more, everything is now out in the open, whether you like it or not. The winners are those that don’t hide, don’t appear all calm and composed, and don’t do things by the book.

Morgan Spurlock calls upon everyone, from brands to companies to individuals, to embrace fear, risk and transparency.

It’s an insightful talk since it makes you wonder if you really know what your own brand is about and if the way you do marketing is still relevant in today’s highly-connected world. At the very least, it will help you discover the power of transparency and taking unusual risks.