The Marketing Genius of Better Call Saul

Podcast: The Futur with Chris Do
Episode: The Marketing Genius of Better Call Saul w/ Chris Do | Ep 409
Release Date: January 3, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Do uses the acclaimed TV series Better Call Saul as a creative springboard to dissect key principles in marketing, positioning, and sales. By analyzing a memorable early episode scene where Saul (Jimmy McGill) is forced to sell cell phones, Chris offers rich, real-world lessons for entrepreneurs, marketers, and anyone keen on the craft of persuasion. The episode is structured as an entertaining, actionable breakdown—with zero plot spoilers—designed to spark new ways of thinking about finding customers, solving unmet needs, and standing out in a crowded market.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Art of "Creating the Customer"

[01:33 - 02:45]

• Chris introduces a business wisdom from Peter Drucker:
  “The purpose of a business is to make profit and also to create the customer.”
• Saul finds himself at a dead-end cell phone store, with no customers and low traffic.
• Rather than settling, Saul repositions the product—basic prepaid cell phones—by targeting a new, unconventional customer: people who value privacy or want to avoid being tracked.
• Instead of focusing on technical features, Saul sells privacy with a provocative sign:

  “Is the man listening? Privacy sold here.” (Narrator/Host, 02:20)

• Chris highlights the subtle genius: Rather than waiting for customers, Saul creates demand by reframing the product as the solution to a hidden fear or problem.

Generating Demand Through Scarcity & Storytelling

[03:12 - 04:20]

• Saul uses staged interactions to create social proof and urgency—for example, faking calls where he claims to have limited stock and destroys a phone right in front of a potential customer:

  “Who destroys a brand new cell phone? Well, he’s showing them what the purpose of this is: Single use. Use it. Destroy it. So it’s untraceable.” (Narrator/Host, 03:34)

• This performance creates curiosity and desire, enticing a new segment of privacy-conscious buyers.

Psychological Positioning: Identifying the “Real” Problem

[04:27 - 06:28]

• Saul masters the art of letting the customer name their own problem. When asked who’s listening, he answers vaguely and lets the buyer connect the dots (“the IRS,” “the government”):

  Customer: “You mean like the IRS?”
  Saul: “Bingo.” (Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman, 04:49)

• To reinforce trust and urgency, Saul invents relatable terms like “information hygiene.”
• The sales pitch becomes less about the phone and more about peace of mind and plausible deniability:

  “What they don’t know can’t hurt you. Especially if you use it only once per. That’s key.” (Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman, 06:06)

Fitting In: The Power of Packaging and Perception

[07:23 - 08:00]

• Chris highlights Saul's realization that appearance matters. Initially rejected by wary teens (“Narc!”), Saul reinvents his look (“Saturday Night Fever” tracksuit) to resemble his target audience.
• Lesson: “If he doesn’t look like his customers, his customers have a problem with him.” (Narrator/Host, 08:00)
• Product-market-fit isn’t just about the product or message—it’s about relatability, trust, and context.

Market Access: Going Where the Customers Are

[08:00 - 09:15]

• Saul realizes sales are slow at the store because his ideal customers aren’t there—so he takes the product “to the street.”
• Chris analogizes this to digital marketing:

  “If they’re on TikTok, create content on TikTok. If they’re more business oriented, they might be more on LinkedIn or somewhere in the middle like Instagram.” (Narrator/Host, 08:52)

• The lesson: Reducing purchase friction and meeting customers in their own world accelerates sales.

Speaking the Customer’s Language

[09:15 - 10:30]

• Saul approaches a biker gang, customizing his pitch to reference their own lived problems: lack of privacy in correctional facilities.
• He crafts the pitch to highlight a specific pain point (“The man is always listening...”) and offers a solution perfectly tailored to them.

  “If you want to talk to your friends on the inside, there is a simple solution.” (Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman, 10:18)

Broader Marketing Takeaways: Blue Ocean Strategy

[10:30 - End]

• Chris draws parallels to the business concept of “blue ocean strategy”—creating your own uncontested market space by pivoting away from crowded, competitive “red oceans.”

  “If you take your boat and move it somewhere else where there’s less competition, you can have the entire ocean to yourself.” (Narrator/Host, 10:43)

• He shares a brief personal anecdote about pivoting his company from commercial production to direct branding and strategy, applying the lesson himself.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:54] Chris Do:

  “To create a customer, it means you take the product and without changing the product, you move it to someone else and you find a whole different category of people to sell to.”

• [02:20] Chris Do:

  “Instead of selling technology, he sold privacy. Painted this beautiful sign across the window that said, Is the man listening? Privacy sold here.”

• [03:34] Chris Do:

  “Who destroys a brand new cell phone? Well, he’s showing them what the purpose of this is: Single use. Use it. Destroy it. So it’s untraceable. In fact, he’s already rehearsed this whole thing.”

• [04:49] Saul Goodman:

  “Like the IRS.”

• [05:25] Saul Goodman:

  “Information hygiene.”
  Term coined on the spot, demonstrating how naming a problem makes a solution more persuasive.

• [06:06] Saul Goodman:

  “What they don’t know can’t hurt you. Especially if you use it only once per. That’s key.”

• [08:00] Chris Do:

  “If he doesn’t look like his customers, his customers have a problem with him. And now he’s selling them and they’re flying out of the trunk.”

• [10:43] Chris Do:

  “If you take your boat and move it somewhere else where there’s less competition, you can have the entire ocean to yourself.”

Important Timestamps

• [00:46-01:33] — Jimmy realizes he needs to create customers, not just wait for them.
• [02:20] — Saul’s store window marketing: “Is the man listening? Privacy sold here.”
• [03:12-03:34] — Creating demand by destroying a phone, making a show of scarcity/privacy.
• [04:49-05:25] — Positioning the product for privacy-conscious cash business.
• [07:23-08:00] — Saul’s “narc” moment; learns importance of perception and fitting in.
• [09:15-10:30] — Selling to the biker gang by speaking their language and solving their pain.
• [10:30-End] — Blue ocean strategy and Chris’s personal application.

Core Takeaways

• Create demand by reframing your product to solve new or unstated problems.
• Speak your customer’s language. Let them verbalize their needs; tailor your messaging.
• Positioning matters: It’s the emotional and functional space you occupy in the customer’s mind. Packaging, language, even your appearance give psychological cues.
• Go where your customers are, not where you want them to be.
• Be adaptable. Don’t compete only where everyone else is fighting—find your blue ocean.
• Marketing is about empathy, context, and timing as much as it is about features.

This episode is a fast-paced, practical masterclass in how to observe potential, mold perception, and seize overlooked markets—delivered with Chris Do’s characteristic clarity and real-world flair. Whether you're a business veteran or just getting started, the lessons draw directly from vivid pop culture examples, making them both memorable and actionable.

Stay tuned for future episodes, including a promised deep dive into Mad Men.