I read a bit today about marketing, specifically about a conference at which marketing will be defined as storytelling.
I totally agree with that concept--story is "it" for me. I find narrative, or story, to be the most pervasive form of communication, whether it be in business, in literature, or in life. What is a complaint letter but a story about the complaint? What is a sales pitch but a story about a need a customer has (whether real, perceived, or created) and how someone can meet it? And, by story, I don't mean long, rambling tales. I mean creating interest. I mean vivid language. I mean, "Work it, baby! Work it!"
One of the lines describing the marketing conference particularly caught my eye. It read, basically, "Use your pet for marketing purposes!"
Snoopy, above, is my pet. He is a diabetic five-year-old cat who was rescued by the Patuxent Animal Welfare Society (PAWS, in case you're wondering). I adopted him after that.
They found him under a car with grease marks on his back, but since then, he's had a pretty poshy life. I've even identified him as a possible part-Turkish Angora. He's a thoroughbred, he'd have you know.
It's about time he earned his keep.
How could he help with marketing? Hmmm. Could I "pitch" an article about Snoopy to Cat Fancy magazine?
That's not really marketing, though--that's development.
Could Snoopy pass out flyers? Doubtful.
Could Snoopy work on my Web site? Occasionally, he walks across my keyboard, but he doesn't really help much.
Could I bring Snoopy on office visits? Maybe, but I don't think most offices have a company litter box, and they probably wouldn't like a visitor using it if they did.
I suppose Snoopy could be a logo. There's the gecko for Geico and the duck for Aflac. Those of us who were sentient beings in the late 70's remember Morris the Cat, but I don't think there's been a good cat marketing agent since then.
I'm also a little uneasy about the woman/cat stereotype (woman with cat loves cat and eschews people). I love my cat, but I love people, too:)
I'll think about it.
