Viral sensations like Dollar Shave Club or Poo-Pouri tell us a story about marketing, but the story is false.

More often than not, we’re led to believe our goal in marketing is to impress. Or to come up with the most clever, unique, funny, imaginative way to sell our products and services.

There’s no denying it. These ads are great – but they’re anomalies, and rarely reproduced.

We’re told to avoid clichés, and that marketing is always about the new, creative, next big thing. It’s a lie. Remember, your job is not to impress your customers; Your job is to educate, inform, connect, and sell.