Marketing in Turbulent Times

Marketing in Turbulent Times

As published in the April 2009 edition of Enterprise Magazine
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May you live in interesting times.

Is that ancient expression a curse or a blessing? I think it depends on what you define to be "interesting" and more importantly how you adapt to it. If you define interesting to mean unpredictable, challenging and threatening - then clearly we are living in interesting times.

Business these days is more like shooting the rapids in a rubber raft than canoeing in a duck pond. It's too easy to be mesmerized by the danger of capsizing. If you focus on the rocks - that's where you will go. The secret is to look for and steer to the high water and paddle like a fiend.

Survival is not the goal If you set your sights on surviving you could slip and sink. If you set your target as thriving then you might flourish. How do you thrive in these turbulent waters?

Marketing is the result of all the messages that you and your staff send. In fact your staff sends more powerful marketing messages than all the advertising you ever do. Therefore marketing becomes the end result of almost every business decision you make.

Think long term Don't make knee-jerk decisions especially about business strategy. Gather as much relevant information as you can. Seek the advice of people you respect. Be clear on your purpose. Examine both the short term and long term effects of major decisions. Once you decide, act quickly and confidently.

Your staff will be looking to you for leadership and hope. Be open to course corrections when and as needed while clearly focused on the objectives and purpose.

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George Torok

Marketing Speaker

Recession Busting Experts

What a Difference a Decade makes to Marketing

What a Difference a Decade makes to Marketing


Imagine that you could continue to market successfully the same way for ten years. Do you like that thought? Well delete that daydream because it just isn't so. Welcome to marketing 2008. It's more threatening, more promising and more exciting. Buckle your seatbelt, take your motion sickness pill and be prepared to be amazing. Because that is what you need to compete today.


Still the Same

Of course some things remained the same. Let's establish our foundation before we venture into the swirl of the Time Tunnel.


The fundamentals are the same. That's what makes them fundamentals. Marketing is still closely intertwined with selling and the purpose of marketing is to help you sell more. Marketing and selling are both strategies to help you make a profit. In fact marketing was and is a fundamental responsibility running through every function of your business.

Read the rest of What a Difference a Decade Makes to Marketing


PS: This article was originally published in the January 2008 10th anniversary issue of Enterprise Magazine.

George Torok
Power Marketing

Marketing Tune Up

Time for your Marketing Tune Up

All machines need regular maintenance. That keeps them reliable, predictable and cost effective. A machine is simply a set of tools and systems working together. Your marketing should run like a dependable machine.

I suggest that you tune-up your marketing at least once a year. If you do that you will save money and improve the performance of the machine. If your marketing machine is running ineffectively or inefficiently your business will cough, stall or worse, break down.

If you are overdue for your marketing tune-up don’t be embarrassed, just hurry up and get tested. You’ll feel much better after. And your business will thank you. Read on to get started with your marketing tune-up. For more help visit www.MarketingTuneUp.ca.

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Read the rest of this article in April's edition of Enterprise Magazine.

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George Torok

Personal Marketing

Marketing Myths

Enterprise Magazine: 10 Years!

Enterprise Magazine celebrates 10 years of publication.

Congratulations to publisher, Hayden Bradshaw. The magazine business is a tough business. You have probably seen many magazines come and go. It's one of those businesses that look easy to outsiders. And a magazine aimed at entrepreneurs and business owners has got to be even tougher.

And yes that's me, George Torok on the cover of this aniversary issue. The cover text reads "Marketing Wizard George Torok: "What a Difference a Decade Makes!"

This feature article examines the trends, and changes in marketing over the last decade.

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What a Difference a Decade Makes in Marketing

Imagine that you could continue to market successfully the same way for ten years. Do you like that thought? Well delete that daydream because it just isn’t so. Welcome to marketing 2008. It’s more threatening, more promising and more exciting. Buckle your seatbelt, take your motion sickness pill and be prepared to be amazing. Because that is what you need to compete today.


Still the Same
Of course some things remained the same. Let’s establish our foundation before we venture into the swirl of the Time Tunnel.

The fundamentals are the same. That’s what makes them fundamentals. Marketing is still closely intertwined with selling and the purpose of marketing is to help you sell more. Marketing and selling are both strategies to help you make a profit. In fact marketing was and is a fundamental responsibility running through every function of your business.

“Marketing is so basic that it cannot be considered a separate function. It is the whole business seen from the point of view of it final result, that is, from the client’s point of view.”
Peter Drucker

Strange that even though management guru, Peter Drucker, offered that advice more than a decade ago – many organizations ignored his wisdom. That’s why we still see marketing departments and sales departments with little cohesion and cooperation. Why? Perhaps too many marketers see themselves as artists or statisticians while they see sales representatives as slimy. And the sales department labels marketing as a bunch of flakes who don’t know about the real world.

The purpose of marketing is to do one or more of the following three things:
Grab Attention
Demonstrate value
Build relationships

The world is still round – or is it now flat? How is the “How” of those fundamentals changing?

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Enterprise is Canada's magazine for small and medium enterprises.


George Torok

Marketing Wizard, George Torok in the media

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