Marketing: It’s a word that strikes fear in the heart of many businesses. They are scared of it, but know that it’s needed. They want it, but selecting a company to provide a new campaign can be tricky.

This week I’ve encountered two distarous pieces of marketing. One was first hand experience, the other was hearsay. Whether running a ministry or traditional business, the goal is to avoid a gimmick that makes you seem phoney.

A tulsa ministry failed this week miserably. The envelope was designed to look like a confirmation of delivery from the post office. Once you made it to the content, it only got worse. Phrases like "I haven’t heard from you" and "I know you won’t let me down" filled the page.

The general consensus was distaste and disgust. Hopefully, this ministry learned their lesson and won’t make the same mistake again.

On another note, reading an editorial in HOW Magazine, a marketing company thought it would be a good idea to send what can only be described as a "stalker package" to the editor. The first piece, containing lipstick prints and cryptic messages cut from magazines, such as "UR MY IDOL"  and "SECRET ADMIRER". No return address, no information.

Once the recipient was nearing the point of calling the police, the 3rd package arrived. It was sample marketing pieces from the company. A MARKETING company! What were they thinking? Instead of making a big splash, they made a big disaster! Not only did an editorial get written about them, but it wasn’t the right kind of publicity.

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