October 31, 2006

Today being Halloween, I thought I'd provide a little bit of an update as well as ask advice.

My question to you is this, do marketers appreciate good marketing? That is, if you see a campaign or advertisement that you like do you take an extra few minutes to comment on the campaign, give it a 'tip-of-the-hat' per say... whereas you may otherwise have given it a pass?

Here's the reason why I ask, earlier today Marqui began a limited-penetration, guerilla marketing campaign that I called "Operation Grim Reaper" (working in conjunction with an agency called SMAK www.smak.ca).

The campaign basically is being executed as follows:

Imagine you are a marketing manager working at your desk today and the receptionist comes up and says, “Death is here to see you”. In walks a fully-costumed Grim Reaper with a hand delivered envelope and a mini-chocolate bar. The only markings on the envelope would be the person’s name. Inside the envelope is a postcard from Marqui (with our contrasting “Pleasantville” brand and ad copy that reads, “Don’t fear your Web site … Web site management does not have to be scary. Neither does business blogging, lead tracking, campaign management, SEO, nor content management, ...etc, etc, etc.)

The card also contains a call to action to call us or visit our web site (www.marqui.com/boo) to tell us what scares them about marketing and their web site for a chance to win Vancouver Canucks tickets. All recipients will be receiving a follow-on call from Sales in subsequent days.

The ambassador, whom is fully costumed and with ghoulish makeup, has been instructed to be expressionless and completely silent. They are to walk into the office of identified companies and present a piece of paper to a receptionist (or walk around until the office until somebody stops them). The paper would contain the cryptic message, “Take me to Joe Smith”. If questioned about the reason for the visit, they could pass another note that states, “Isn’t it obvious?” Assumedly, this would probably get the promoter through the door or at least, have the key contact come to meet death face-to-face. At this point, the promoter would present the envelope. If the person is not there, a final note along with the leave behind is to be passed to the receptionist, “[first name], Sorry I missed you. I am sure we will meet again.”

The list of targets that we assembled was hand built based on our understanding of companies and their needs. Though each name was painstakingly added (our attempt at personalization), each visit was a "cold visit" and we did not have the permission to interrupt the mark [I wonder what Seth Godin would think of this]. And for that matter, I wonder what you think of this? Would this get your attention?

PS ... Here is a photo of one of our ambassadors.

Posted by at October 31, 2006
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October 2, 2006

And so it begins.

A week ago I joined Marqui as the new Marketing Director. And what a week it has been.

Prior to writing anything insightful, I must offer my special thanks to Janet for all her efforts – not just over the past week where she helped me get acclimated with the various Marketing projects underway, envisioned, or of the past – but also for her contributions to the company. Her voice became the voice of Marqui, and her words set the tone for where we are at today. Many thanks.

In Janet’s last post of just over a week ago, she pondered over who would be continuing to speak for Marqui. Yes, I will be posting, but I will not be alone. The Marqui blog is not just about any one person, idea, or concept. We view the blog as our opportunity to connect with and engage our customers, our advocates, and our partners. To this end, there will be many contributors: from Dale Borland, our President & CEO; to Rick Patri, our VP of Sales. You will also hear from another new hire (who started today) in Ryan Stocker who is Marqui’s new Product Manager and your conduit into the Marqui roadmap and our underlying technology. In time, as we grow, it is my hope that others will also offer their insight.

Many of the faithful readers of this blog (as well as many of our customers) may be wondering about the recent changes that the company has seen. Though you have no reason to believe me when I tell you, “All is good” (we’ve hardly met after all), I am confident that in the weeks, months, and years ahead, you will agree with this assertion.

If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns about Marqui, or if you simply want to discuss the state of Marketing, our SaaS approach, or anything else that is on your mind, please do not hesitate to comment on the blog or call me directly at +1.604.484.8542. Stay tuned, it is going to be a wonderful journey.

Posted by at October 2, 2006
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