I recently finished reading Seth Godin’s new book Tribes, where he uses the analogy of a unicorn entering a balloon factory to symbolize leaders seeking to take charge in a company that is afraid of change.

“The balloon factory isn’t really a bad place to work if you rationalize a bit. It’s steady work, with a bit of a rush around New Year’s. The rest of the time it’s quiet and peaceful and not so scary. Except when the unicorns show up. At first, the balloon factory folks shush the unicorn and warn him away. That often works. But sometimes, the unicorn ignores them and wanders into the factory anyway. That’s when everyone runs for cover.

It’s amazingly easy for a unicorn to completely disrupt a balloon factory. That’s because the factory is organized around a single idea, the idea of soft, quiet stability. The unicorn changes all that. The balloon factory is all about the status quo. And unicorns change the status quo.”

Marketing has taken a drastic turn, and companies, wishing to survive, must be willing to change. The old model of relying on television ads, billboards, and radio spots, is much less effective. Traditional media still has its place, but now companies must create a product that is remarkable-one that customers will talk about. The customer must love the product so much, that they become a tribe, and not merely customers. Seth challenges companies to lead their tribe, instead of marketing to their customers.

Tribes is a must read for all professionals. It may change the way you view marketing.