“Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” hit the airwaves in 1968, and 912 episodes later its final episode aired in 2001. In an era of children’s programming that was focused on reading, writing and arithmetic, Mr. Rogers focused on emotional intelligence and being a good neighbor.

The world is celebrating the 50th anniversary of that first visit to the neighborhood with a documentary, a feature film starring Tom Hanks, and at the Marketing Profs B2B Forum this past week. (One of the best marketing conferences available and one you should earmark for 2020.)

What does Mr. Rogers have to do with marketing? Turns out, quite a bit. The keynote address by agency leaders Cliff Lewis and Scott Trobough from the Godfrey agency was an insightful look at how Mr. Rogers could be considered the ideal role model for us as marketers.

They called out several philosophies and teachings from the show and showed the conference attendees exactly how they could channel their inner Fred Rogers to improve their marketing results. I’m going to share a couple of theirs and then two of my own.

Maintain your sense of wonder: One of the opportunities we have as marketers is to bring our unique and outside perspective to the work. I’ve always thought that “We’ve never been asked that question before” is one of the biggest compliments we can earn.

If you’re too much of an insider to have that fresh perspective anymore, then find it in someone else. It might be through research, a strategic partner, or other people in the organization who might see your products or services in a new light.

Exercise simplicity: One of the toughest things to do in our work is to take something complicated and make it accessible to a new audience. That’s why our copy is often bloated and our designs cluttered. We’re trying to shove 5 pounds of information into a 1-pound bag. We substitute volume for clarity. Paring something down to its essence is painstaking work. It’s like creating a sculpture. The ability to remove what isn’t necessary is a lost art in our profession. Which makes it even more important to do.

Neighborhoods matter: Call it a tribe, a group of raving fans or a community, but regardless of what we call it, in today’s marketing, it matters. With the power of ratings, reviews and every consumer having the power of the pen on social media, we can’t afford to alienate our best customers.

Marketing that invites your most loyal clients to participate in telling your story is the most cost-effective tactic you can employ. Their sincerity and passion will cut through the clutter, and that authenticity can’t be beat.

Won’t you be my neighbor? One of the hallmarks of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” was the signature song where Mr. Rogers invited his audience of children to be his neighbor. He didn’t demand, cajole or buy it. He invited them in and made it welcoming so they would feel safe and comfortable.

Consumers have made it clear that invasive, interruptive marketing is an unwelcome intrusion, and they’re taking control by skipping, deleting and unplugging. They’re demanding that we stop the hard-pitch sales techniques and let them decide how, when and where we connect with them. Permission-based marketing isn’t a passing fad. It’s part of every marketer’s new reality.

We work in a world where distrust is rampant, and there’s a lot of noise to dig through just to get to information that’s actually helpful. Using the lessons of Mr. Rogers as we go out and tell our company’s story seems not only respectful of our audience but also refreshingly effective.

Maybe we don’t need to don his iconic cardigan sweater and tennis shoes, but we could all benefit from channeling a little Fred Rogers in our marketing efforts.