Modern marketing is a constantly evolving activity filled with new opportunities, seemingly on a daily basis, for success, failure, and every point on the spectrum between. One constant, however, remains true from the old days of traditional marketing: we can learn always learn from our history and by watching and actively listening to our competitors. As Ben Mezrich, author of The Accidental Billionaires, writes, “Businesses should follow and learn from others’ successes and failures in order to better understand and predict their own.”

In the spirit of active listening, today the TribalVision blog brings you the Top 20 Marketing Quotes For Successful Marketing in The New Normal Economy.

1. On listening: “The Internet has turned what used to be a controlled, one-way message into a real-time dialogue with millions.” Danielle Sacks, Writer, Fast Company
2. On strong web presence: “Companies are learning that it’s much better to offer customers a place to give direct feedback at their virtual doorstep than to ignore complaints and let them crop up everywhere.” Brian Reich and Dan Solomon, Authors of Media Rules!
3. On social media: “People share, read, and generally engage more with any type of content when it’s surfaced through friends and people they know and trust.” Malorie Lucich, Facebook Spokesperson
4. On technology: “Understand why and how your audience uses technology and then start trying to align your communication efforts.” Brian Reich and Dan Solomon, Authors of Media Rules!
5. On adaptability: “People shop and learn in a whole new way compared to just a few years ago, so marketers need to adapt or risk extinction.” Brian Halligan, Co-Author of Inbound Marketing, CEO, Hubspot
6. On planning: “The greatest enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan.” Carl von Clausewitz
7. On selling: “Yes, I sell people things they don’t need. I can’t, however, sell them something they don’t want. Even with advertising. Even if I were of a mind to.” John O’Toole
8. On consumer psychology:  “Without a specific reason for the consumer to behave, without a reward or benefit, the overwhelmed consumer will refuse.”  Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog
9. On real-time marketing: “Instead of one-way interruption, Web marketing is about delivering useful content at just the precise moment that a buyer needs it.” David Meerman Scott, Marketing Strategist and author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR
10. On nuance: “Clarity trumps persuasion.” Dr. Flint McGlaughlin, Director, Meclabs
11. On word of mouth 2.0: “The way you can understand all of the social media is as the creation of a new kind of public space.” Danah Boyd, Social Media Researcher, Microsoft
12. On direction: “Focus on the core problem your business solves and put out lots of content and enthusiasm and ideas about how to solve that problem.” Laura Fitton, Founder, oneforty.com
13. On innovation: “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple
14. On websites: “In today’s information age of Marketing and Web 2.0, a company’s website is the key to their entire business.” Marcus Sheridan, Author of The Sales Lion blog, Marketing Speaker
15. On risk: “Don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with your marketing.” Mike Volpe, CMO, Hubspot
16. On feedback: “Customers can’t always tell you what they want, but they can always tell you what’s wrong.” Carly Fiona on the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders podcast
17. On new media: “Institutions that once had to go through media to deliver information are now themselves media.” Andrew Nachison, Founder, We Media
18. On research: “If you want to understand how a lion hunts don’t go to the zoo. Go to the jungle.” Jim Stengel CMO of P&G
19. On alignment: “To be successful and grow your business and revenues, you must match the way you market your products with the way your prospects learn about and shop for your products.” Brian Halligan, Co-Author of Inbound Marketing, CEO, Hubspot
20. On focus: “If you have more money than brains, you should focus on outbound marketing. If you have more brains than money, you should focus on inbound marketing.” Guy Kawasaki, Former Chief Evangelist, Apple, Co-Founder of AllTop.com.

What are your guiding principles in marketing? What quotes inspire and motivate you? Leave us a comment and let us know what’s on your mind.