Truly Twisted Marketing

I received one of those forwarded emails today that got me “hoppin’ mad” as my granny (bless her sweet soul) would say.

First off…I’m busy. I get a lot of emails. Tons, it seems like sometimes, and there is always junk to filter through that my spam catcher didn’t catch.

Don’t get me wrong I absolutely LOVE hearing from my readers and people who comment. They are always welcome and I value their opinions and input into this online conversation.

This was different.

It was a forwarded email political in nature slamming Barack Obama and his family ties. What aggravated me so much was that the email had been forwarded to more people than I could count and it was based on no real research and was slanderous in nature. In fact, it outlandishly claimed Obama was a secret member of an extremist jihad group aimed at undoing the United States from the inside out.

Now politics, I know, are always a hotbed of disputes arguments and disagreements. Let me say, I certainly am not into promoting any particular presidential wannabe (including Obama) and I encourage people to research and dig into their favorites to see who they are and not allow themselves to be spoon fed by the media.

However, this particular email was forwarded to teachers, church leaders, local business owners and many people who would be considered movers and shakers in our sweet little town nestled here the Western North Carolina Mountains.

What astounded me was the idea that these people would take this email and forward it, again and again. The marketer in me started to think about the psychology behind it because it IS word of mouth marketing – for better or worse.

Why would these educated individuals be motivated to pass this along to their circle of friends and family?

Fear - fear of change, fear of something or someone who does not represent the stereotypical presidential candidate, fear of a repeat of 9/11, fear of different religions, fear of skin color and most assuredly fear of the unknown.

As much as I hate to say it, fear IS a strong motivator. As marketing professionals it is our job to know what motivates people, and then to act RESPONSIBLY with that knowledge.

Playing on a person’s fears in order to attempt to get a reaction out of someone is not only wrong, it is highly unethical, irresponsible and manipulative. Feeding them information that is untrue or slanderous in nature is just plain bad Karma.

And, it will come back to bite you in the behind.

So, the word for today from the Big Book of Marketing is to be honest and straightforward in your endeavors to attract new customers, acquire votes and make those business connections. Empower your target market with positive information that genuinely eases there fears and answers their scariest questions.

In essence "take the high road." Be that business that makes a positive difference in their lives. They’ll remember you for it.