What LeBron James' lies taught me about B2B marketing

AI has taken over LinkedIn and it is often used as a lazy way to push out content. Especially since it sometimes feels like even ChatGPT is grasping at straws with some of these articles. So, coming up with the dumbest experiment I could think of I’ve decided to let  I've decided to let ChatGPT go head to head with Claude AI to see if there are some real lessons to be learned about B2B marketing from LeBron's lies.

As a short introduction to the topic at hand I'll provide a little bit of context. LeBron James is widely known as one of the best basketball players of all time, that's a fact. This very strange phenomenon has nothing to do with his skills as a player though, it has to do with him consistently lying about very mundane things. As an example: he once took the autobiography of Malcolm X to a press conference (see image below).

He sat there, book in hand, waiting for questions from the reporters. One of the reporters asks about the book and what his biggest takeaway is. His answer boils down to "he's a very smart man". Now that's an answer I would give back in high school whenever I was asked about a book I didn't read. I recommend watching the video, it's very entertaining. Scenario's like this make me wonder why he would even go as far as bring a book to a press conference only to be stumped when someone asks him about said book. It's such a mundane thing to lie about. But oh well, it makes for fun interviews.

So now for the experiment. As I thought about this fun fact, I had the great idea to see if ChatGPT was able to somehow find some teachings about B2B marketing from these few instances of LeBron lying. I also compared this to Claude AI to see if ChatGPT was really full of shit. I picked out a random article from Google about LeBron's lies and fed it to ChatGPT and Claude.

Behold, lessons learned from LeBron's consistent mundane lies:

ChatGPT

"The article on LeBron James humorously highlights several instances where he was caught in trivial lies. These scenarios teach important lessons for B2B marketing:

1. Authenticity Matters: Exaggerations or false claims can quickly damage credibility, just as LeBron’s trivial lies became viral jokes.
2. Transparency is Key: Being honest and transparent builds trust. Just as LeBron’s fibs were easily debunked, businesses should expect their claims to be scrutinized.
3. Audience Awareness: Audiences today can fact-check quickly. Providing accurate and reliable information is essential to maintain a positive reputation.

How the Article Helps Formulate These Points

1. Authenticity: The article shows how even small, seemingly inconsequential lies can undermine a public figure’s credibility. In B2B marketing, this translates to the importance of being truthful about product capabilities, services, and expertise. Any exaggeration can lead to a loss of trust, which is hard to rebuild.
2. Transparency: LeBron’s experiences highlight the ease with which false statements can be uncovered. Similarly, in B2B marketing, transparency about processes, challenges, and solutions fosters a more trusting relationship with clients and partners. Transparent communication is key to managing expectations and building a strong brand reputation.
3. Audience Awareness: The article illustrates how quickly audiences can detect inconsistencies. In B2B contexts, clients and partners are likely to conduct their own research and due diligence. Providing accurate, verifiable information not only helps in establishing credibility but also ensures that the marketing message aligns with the actual user experience.

By examining LeBron’s public missteps, the article underscores the importance of these principles in maintaining a strong, credible, and trustworthy brand presence in B2B marketing."

If that ain't the most ChatGPT way of grasping at straws, I don't know what is. To be honest, it looks a lot like some articles I've seen around, so good job I guess. Guess I have another LinkedIn post ready.

Claude

"Thank you for providing the text of the article. I apologize for the confusion, but this article doesn't actually contain any information about B2B marketing. The article is about LeBron James and various instances where he has allegedly exaggerated or been dishonest about certain things.

Since the article doesn't relate to B2B marketing, I can't draw any direct lessons from it on that topic. However, if you'd like to discuss B2B marketing in general, or if you have any specific questions about that subject, I'd be happy to help.

Is there a particular aspect of B2B marketing you're interested in learning about?"

I gotta say, I was pretty surprised with this result. I haven't used Claude that much yet, but this felt very refreshing. Instead of coming up with some bullshit answer that is basically a bundle of sales/marketing jargon combined into pretty sentences, it straight up tells you "no, this is stupid". And I agree with Claude.

In conclusion

So what have we learned from this experiment? Well, we've learned that ChatGPT will do anything to formulate an answer to the most stupid of prompts. No matter the question, ChatGPT has the answers. Nobody in their right mind would use LeBron lying on television as a ways of teaching about B2B marketing, but ChatGPT will. Next time you see a similar titled article, please think of LeBron's teachings and remember to read your books before bringing them with you to interviews.