Revisting the Cluetrain Manifesto - did it all make sense?

We thought it would be interesting to write a few blogs on some old way back at the start of the internet business books, which formed opinions and made us think differently. Here is the first in the series, The Cluetrain Manifesto.  Other book titles that we will revisit include Being Digital, Funky Business, Leading the Revolution, Unleashing the Killer App and The Third Wave 

The Cluetrain Manifesto is/was a pivotal work in business literature, co-authored by Rick Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger. Originally posted online in 1999 and later published as a book in 2000, it presents a radical perspective on marketing and business communication in the digital age.

The book presented what was, at the time, a radical redefinition of traditional business models centred on the core premise that "markets are conversations." This paradigm shift challenges conventional marketing and business communication practices in several key ways:

Conversational markets

The manifesto asserts the internet has transformed marketplaces into dynamic, dialogue-driven environments. Instead of viewing consumers as passive recipients of marketing messages, businesses must now engage in genuine, two-way conversations with their customers. This shift requires companies to:

• Adopt a more human, authentic voice in their communications
• Listen and respond to customer feedback in real-time
• Empower employees to interact directly with customers

Networked information flow

Traditional hierarchical structures are disrupted by the internet's ability to facilitate rapid information exchange:

• Hyperlinks subvert traditional organisational hierarchies
• Consumers now have access to information that may surpass what companies provide
• Employees can connect and share knowledge both internally and externally

Transparency and authenticity

The manifesto emphasises the need for businesses to embrace openness and genuineness:

• Corporate rhetoric and artificial "positioning" are becoming obsolete
• Companies must take genuine positions on issues that matter to their market
• Humour, humility and straight talk are valued over polished corporate messaging

Employee empowerment

The book advocates for a transformation in how companies view and utilise their workforce:

• Employees should be encouraged to engage authentically with customers
• The barrier between internal and external conversations is breaking down
• Companies should leverage the "human voice" of their employees in communications

Customer-centric approach

The manifesto stresses the importance of viewing markets as collections of individuals rather than demographic segments. This perspective requires businesses to:

• Personalise their approach to customer interactions
• Recognise and respond to the unique needs and voices of individual consumers
• Tap into the collective wisdom and support networks that customers create among themselves

Congratulations to the authors. It all worked out to be true—the digerati who invented the ideas or described the changes they were observing seemed to have totally nailed it.