Marketing to my grade school ninja

Marketing is a pretty important part of what we do here at the Gazette. Advertising reps love to remind the newsroom it is the revenue they generate that pays the bills, which typically triggers a response pertaining to the effectiveness of local content in attracting readers in the first place.

The reality is we all have our roles here and are equally reliant on a variety of other co-workers for our success. Some obvious and more known, such as our ad reps and local reporters, and others of equal importance that are far less visible, such as our office managers and part-time delivery personnel.

That being said, news content and advertising are often the two most visible aspects of our business, which is what I focused my response on recently when Declan asked, "What does the Gazette do?"

The newsroom narrative was easy, we report on local happenings - the good, the bad and sometimes the indifferent. When it came to the advertising side he was curious exactly how, "We help area businesses grow and find success," as I put it.

I attempted to explain the difference between effective and ineffective advertising to my 10-year-old with little success, before being reminded of an experience in Seattle several years ago.

"Do you remember when we were driving in downtown Seattle and I saw that homeless guy standing on the street corner, amidst a crowd of others begging for money? His sign was so much better than every other sign around him I actually looked for an opening in traffic to pull over and give him some money." Declan didn't remember the situation but listened attentively.

"His sign made me laugh and prompted a reaction from me I probably never would have had otherwise. That's what good marketing does. It's not just about helping businesses get their message out there, but helping them create a message that triggers a positive response," I said.

Declan laughed when I recounted the words written on the man's sign and will likely remember little else from our conversation, at least this go-around anyways.

Driving in certain neighborhoods in downtown Seattle, like most metropolitan cities, it is commonplace to come across a variety of homeless donning makeshift signs asking for money, food, work or help in general. Often times they summarize sad tales of hardship, military service or lost loved ones in hopes of soliciting donations from passersby.

The words etched in thick black marker on the ragged cardboard sign, that brought a smile to my face and prompted the uncharacteristic desire for me to open up my pocketbook, stated simply "Ninjas Killed My Father. Need Money for Karate Lessons."