Marketing Interview
Marketing Interview
[Black Hat, standing in front of Cueball, who is sitting behind a executive desk, looking at some papers.] Cueball: I've heard you're one of the best in the marketing business, but I've got your portfolio here and looks like you've never run a major campaign. Why should I hire you to head our new initiative?
[Same scene.] Black Hat: If you don't mind asking, what gave you the idea I was one of the best in the business? Cueball: Hm? I don't remember. Just word of mouth or someth-- ...oh, you're good. Black Hat: Thank you. When can I start?

Black Hat is trying to get a job running a marketing program. Cueball conducts the interview and says that although he has heard that Black Hat is the best in the business, his portfolio does not show that he has run any major marketing campaigns. Black Hat asks where he heard that rumor and Cueball begins to respond. Then he realizes that Black Hat has used his perfect marketing campaign tactics to get into the business. Then, Black Hat tries to skip ahead of the interview process and coyly asks, before being offered the job, when he can start working.
A book that becomes the most popular in its field is the one with the best marketing, not necessarily the one with the best content. The title text suggests that in this case, where the subject matter is marketing, the most popular book would in fact be written by those with the best marketing skills, and would therefore contain the best content. However, this fails to realize that the publishers of the book would only be good at marketing themselves, but not necessarily at teaching marketing.
Job interviews are a recurring topic on xkcd.
[Black Hat, standing in front of Cueball, who is sitting behind a executive desk, looking at some papers.] Cueball: I've heard you're one of the best in the marketing business, but I've got your portfolio here and looks like you've never run a major campaign. Why should I hire you to head our new initiative?
[Same scene.] Black Hat: If you don't mind asking, what gave you the idea I was one of the best in the business? Cueball: Hm? I don't remember. Just word of mouth or someth-- ...oh, you're good. Black Hat: Thank you. When can I start?
