---
title: "The First Principle of Marketing: A Paradigm Shift"
description: "The 'First Principle of Marketing' is more widely applicable, useful, and powerful than you might imagine. Perhaps you didn't know that banning cigarette advertisements actually protects the tobacco industry!"
author: "苗庆显"
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published: "2017-11-30"
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# The First Principle of Marketing: A Paradigm Shift

> The 'First Principle of Marketing' is more widely applicable, useful, and powerful than you might imagine. Perhaps you didn't know that banning cigarette advertisements actually protects the tobacco industry!

Introduction
**The 'First Principle of Marketing' is more widely applicable, useful, and powerful than you might imagine.**
**Perhaps you didn't know that banning cigarette advertisements actually protects the tobacco industry!**
Let's start with a topic related to cigarettes.
Do you really think that governments banning cigarette ads is about protecting people's health? Or protecting minors?
Too young, too simple. This law is actually the biggest protective umbrella for the tobacco industry, and it was originally proposed by the tobacco giants themselves.
In the 1960s, post-war America was unprecedentedly prosperous. Major tobacco companies launched marketing offensives, creating shiny, charismatic images to attract consumers, attaching positive labels like maturity, wisdom, bravery, and masculinity to smokers. For a time, the tobacco industry was booming, and smokers flocked to it.
The tobacco industry was the first to face resistance from the U.S. health authorities, who detailed a large amount of evidence to illustrate the dangers of cigarettes, starting the first round of mudslinging with the tobacco giants.
The health authorities' weapon was rational health, while the tobacco giants' trump card was emotional image. After a showdown, unsurprisingly, the health authorities lost completely. The emotional and instinctive centers beat the rational center, and the advice that 'smoking is harmful to health' could not stop the rapid development of the tobacco industry.
Then the American Cancer Society stepped in. This time, they hit the tobacco industry's vital point, nearly bringing it to the brink of disaster. (Note: The American Cancer Society is a powerful non-profit organization, well-versed in human nature and communication, and was once boycotted by other non-profits for being too successful.)
The Cancer Society did not attack from a health perspective as before, but from the carefully cultivated image of smokers. They pointed out:
> **The smoker image presented by the tobacco giants is false, unreal, and a tax on intelligence.**
>
> **Smoking is an extension of infant sucking behavior, which can relieve anxiety but makes one look childish and ridiculous.**
>
> **Smoking is a sign of lack of self-discipline.**
>
> **Smoking ruins one's image in others' eyes, making one completely unattractive.**
>
> **Smoking creates a slavish dependence.**
>
> **The stench on smokers' bodies and breath is unbearable.**
Although the tobacco giants fought back, and their promotional spending far exceeded that of charitable organizations like the Cancer Society, the tobacco industry was still successfully blocked. Not only did it say goodbye to rapid growth, but within just three years, the market declined by 10%.
New smokers significantly decreased, while more and more people wanted to quit smoking. No one wanted to be seen as a childish, undisciplined, smelly, sleazy man (or woman). In the second round, the anti-smoking organizations represented by the Cancer Society won a great victory.
Of course, the tobacco giants did not sit idly by. They came up with another clever trick—self-castration.
In July 1969, at a U.S. congressional hearing, representatives of the major tobacco giants made a bizarre request: **to ban cigarette advertisements on television and radio**. The proposal was passed, and after 1971, cigarette ads never appeared on U.S. TV or radio again.
With the enactment of the ban on tobacco advertising, cigarette sales surged again, marketing expenses were greatly reduced, and the tobacco industry's profits soared. The industry has thrived ever since.
**The 'First Principle of Marketing'—This Will Be on the Exam**
In the above case, there are two things worth pondering: **First, why did the Cancer Society's 'smoking is sleazy' theory significantly reduce the number of smokers, while the Health Department's 'smoking is harmful' theory did not? Second, why did banning cigarette ads actually boost tobacco sales?**
This involves a very important concept that Lao Miao calls **'the First Principle of Marketing'**.
The first principle was originally a philosophical concept, later becoming a quantum physics concept. With the emergence of another business genius after Jobs, Musk, his advocacy of the first principle has become widely known in the business world.
Musk's first principle roughly has three levels of meaning:
> 1. Don't use comparative thinking; give up comparing with others and with your own past, as this only leads to small iterative development.
>
> 2. View the world from a physics perspective, peeling away layers to reveal the essence of things, as people often say, 'see through the appearance to perceive the essence.'
>
> 3. Your business actions should build up layer by layer from the essence.
Similarly, the 'first principle' applies to marketing:
**We must look through the complex consumer behaviors in the market, discover the motivations behind those behaviors, and then explore the reasons behind the motivations. That reason is the first principle. From the first principle, we innovate products and conduct marketing activities, with all actions centered around the 'first principle.'**
**In summary, it is: behavior—motivation—reason—action.** This is the **'First Principle of Marketing'**. For example:
We see various clothing purchase behaviors: some choose Dior, Versace; others choose Septwolves, Ayilian; some choose ZARA, H&M; and others buy knockoffs or online brands.
The main motivation for buying clothes is not warmth—otherwise, our ancestors wouldn't have shed their fur—but to have a better image in our own minds (within what we can afford). The social attribute of clothing has become the primary product attribute.
Why do we want a better image? Some want to attract partners, some want to look cooler than others, some want to appear more capable, to gain recognition, promotions, raises, or business opportunities.
Buying clothes is the behavior; looking more handsome or beautiful is the motivation; attracting partners or getting promotions is the deeper reason, the 'first principle.' This is the 'First Principle of Marketing' for clothing consumption.
Back to the 1960s tobacco advertising controversy:
Buying and smoking cigarettes is the behavior; seeking comfort is the motivation; but the deeper reason is the belief that smoking enhances charm. Smokers generally feel good about themselves, especially new smokers.
So scaring them with health hazards is like scratching an itch through a boot for most people.
The American Cancer Society directly attacked the 'first principle' of smoking behavior, i.e., 'enhancing charm,' from psychological, behavioral, sociological, and gender perspectives, revealing how ridiculous and unreliable the mature, wise, cool image of smokers created by tobacco companies was. This greatly affected smokers' self-perception.
After their promotional counterattacks failed, the tobacco companies adopted a scorched-earth tactic: by legislating a ban on cigarette ads, they cut off their own promotional channels and also cut off the attackers' channels (since tobacco companies stopped advertising, media also reduced the scheduling of anti-smoking public service ads).
The huge consumer base of smokers was able to maintain their good feelings, and the tobacco industry continued to thrive.
**Let's Look at the 'First Principle of Marketing' in Several Categories**
The **'First Principle of Marketing'** is widely applied, and many marketing innovations and product innovations stem from it.
When we visit elders, we bring gifts like alcohol, tobacco, health products, or fruit. Is the purpose to meet their daily needs? Or to give health? Of course not; the purpose is to make the elders happy.
Easterners are more reserved; they don't open gifts on the spot and act surprised: 'Wow, I love it, darling!' Instead, they might say, 'You shouldn't have brought anything!' But if you come empty-handed, the elders are likely to be unhappy.
Elders are happy to receive gifts not because they want to take advantage of you, but for two deeper reasons: first, they feel you still remember them, which is comforting; second, being valued affirms their worth, and most will show off the gifts to others.
So, good gift-givers choose gifts with a story, like something brought from a special place, something prepared for a specific illness, or something with special significance, or at least something well-known, like 'For gifts, only Brain Gold.'
Six Walnuts was once a hit in the gift market in rural northern China. I remember one Spring Festival, my family received dozens of boxes of Six Walnuts.
There are countless online case analyses about Six Walnuts' success, but from the **'First Principle of Marketing'** perspective, it might be just a few sentences:
Among products suitable for gifts in the northern rural market, Six Walnuts was the most expensive at the time, costing about 20 yuan more than regular milk or drinks, and about 10 yuan more than premium milk. It was within an affordable price range and best matched the 'presentable and mentionable' **'first principle'** of gift-giving.
However, after Six Walnuts succeeded, it didn't continue to focus on this 'first principle.' Instead, it emphasized brain-boosting and targeted the exam market. Subsequently, Six Walnuts was gradually eroded in the gift market by Anmuxi, Chunzhen, and others. Now its competitiveness is much weaker. It really needs to boost its brain.
Another example is the most common products: alcohol and tea.
Both alcohol and tea have strong social attributes. Often, socializing is the main purpose of consuming these products, so 'showing off' is the 'first principle' for many alcohols and teas. That's why alcohol and tea brands love to boast about history, culture, anecdotes, legends, and rituals.
Moutai, with its 'national liquor' positioning, has occupied the high ground in the 'showing off' 'first principle.' No matter what happens, its top brand position is unshakable. So Moutai's marketing doesn't seem impressive; it just repeatedly emphasizes its national liquor status in various ways, yet its power is enormous.
In 2017, Xiaoguan Tea became popular. Some complained, 'Xiaoguan Tea is sold to people who don't understand tea. Master Zou Bingliang's own top-grade Pu'er ripe tea isn't this expensive.' Others said Xiaoguan Tea's success was due to internet thinking, capturing user pain points, and defining consumption scenarios.
In Lao Miao's view, Du Guoying, who is good at playing with product concepts, once again captured the 'first principle' of tea marketing.
The threshold for showing off with tea is too high; only a few can afford it. Factors like origin, craftsmanship, aroma type, tree age, water quality, water temperature, tea set, and procedures are difficult, and you might fail at showing off if you're not careful.
So what about ordinary people? They also have the need to show off!
No worries, Old Du will take you to show off and fly. He brought in eight masters, made exquisite packaging, created topics without thresholds, and full of ceremony. With a record-breaking three-minute ad on CCTV, you can show off to your heart's content.
I'm not afraid to make a bold prediction: Old Du's Xiaoguan Tea, like his Haoxingxing and Beibeijia, will still be popular, but it's also a short-term product. At most three to five years, at least two to three years. When the show-off leaks, he'll switch to another product and continue playing.
The beer industry is the most laughable.
As mentioned, alcohol is a category with strong social attributes, and beer is no exception. But for years, the beer industry has focused on channel push and deep distribution. The rare consumer communication is all the same: 'great taste,' 'great experience,' or unreliable ads like 'Brave the World.'
After years of relentless efforts by beer practitioners, beer has successfully become a typical FMCG product. Everyone lives a miserable life like FMCG people. Beer has long been sold cheaper than water, and the entire industry, even brands like Tsingtao and Snow, has little profit. When a craft beer with a bit of style finally appeared, it quickly became an FMCG product.
Recently, Snow launched a literary-style Peking Opera mask packaging, which is a bit of a breakthrough. Let's see if there's anything to it. But if it doesn't grasp the 'first principle,' it will still struggle.
Since it's called the **'First Principle of Marketing,'** it's because its application is very fundamental and its scenarios are numerous. An article can't dig deep enough. In the future, Lao Miao will gradually share methods and examples with readers.
Finally, let me repeat its four elements—this is a must-know for the exam, so circle it:
**1. Surface consumer behavior; 2. Motivation behind the behavior; 3. Reason behind the motivation; 4. Layer-by-layer actions around the reason.**
If you can apply it proficiently, you're an expert.
Source: Lao Miao Tears Apart Marketing (ID: yiheyingxiao)
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