Are You Marketing...Or Barketing?

Last Friday, when writing about imagination, I wrote:

“Imagination allows us to transform old ideas and plans into new arrangements.”

I recently read a great example of imagination in action.

But first some background information...because it's important to give recognition where recognition is due.

Enterprise

Earlier this week, I received my November copy of Enterprise.

This magazine which celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, reaches Canada's small & medium enterprises.

Being one of the original contributors to the magazine, it's great to see it continue to thrive, despite the difficulties facing print media.

Congratulations and best wishes for continued success to Hayden Bradshaw, Publisher and Editor.

George Torok  is a long time contributor to the magazine. George and I have known each other for many years, having appeared at the same trade shows, seminars and small business and marketing events.

It's nice to welcome long-time friends like Hayden and George to my blog, which has yet to reach its first birthday.

Now back to imagination in action.

Beware of Barketing

The November copy of Enterprise contains a very imaginative and interesting article by Geroge, entitled “Beware of Barketing”.

The article's layout and graphic combine to make it jump right off the page. In introducing the term 'barketing' George writes:

“...Barketing is is a cross between marketing, and barking like a dog. Barking is often repetitive, annoying and loud, and always a one-way message. Barketing is marketing gone the way of dogs. You annoy customers with your message attempt, sound like the rest of the pack, and display no finesse.”

“Barketing is any form of marketing that looks and sounds like “me too” to your prospects. It feels to your market like you are competing for attention by shouting louder...”

Now that's imagination in action: two old ideas...marketing and barking...combined into a new arrangement...barketing.

The very sound of the term is off-putting.

@!#$% Dog!

The layout of the article helps to visually represent.

It contains a photograph of a man in a business suit shouting into a bull horn.

The text opens with several paragraphs...ah the peacefulness of it all.

It then shifts to a series of bullet points...like a dog barking.

@!#$% dog!

After three short barks...or bullet points...like a dog trying to have the last word, the article concludes and finally ends with a one-word sentence: meow.

Happily, imagination is alive and well at Enterprise.

Thanks George and Hayden...good work well done.