Alchemical Marketing

Why is good marketing like alchemy?

The medieval alchemist’s goal was to distill a raw material to its pure essence through a magical catalyst.

In marketing, what makes you great is the raw material. The pure essence is how you benefit your clients. And your magical catalyst is emotion – the benefit you provide must resonate at an emotional level.  Emotion is what drives prospects and clients to action.

This is where I operate.

I graduated with honors from Thunderbird with an MBA in International Management, a specialization in global marketing, and dreams of overseas adventure.  So I joined the Peace Corps, working in the marketing department of the Estonian Tourism Board. Key strategies from the tourism marketing plan I developed remain in use today.

I loved overseas life, and that experience launched a fourteen year career working in the fringes of the former Soviet Union, Afghanistan, and the Middle East. On a shoe-string budget, I created a country-wide campaign in Afghanistan that generated a 400% spike in lead generation for participating firms. My clients have included global institutions such as the World Bank, IFC, and USAID.

But by 2008, it was time to come home to San Mateo, CA.  Now, I work on local and international marketing projects, enhancing the web presence of my clients, developing killer content, and implementing social media programs.

I’ve never met a dessert I didn’t like, and my guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer reruns and hanging out at the local wine bar.

After learning to love my inner Walter Mitty, I became a mystery author. You can find my paranormal mysteries on Amazon and B&N.

Follow me on Twitter @kweiss01 for social media tips, musings, and ideas.  Or if you’re looking for something fun to read, check out my author website at kirstenweiss.com