Rabbi Krohn quoted Rabbi Binyamin Kaminetzky, Shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Chaim, on the term mazel, noting that mazel is really roshei taivos for mem=makom (place), zayin=zman (time) and lamed=lashon (language).
I was thunderstruck, because these are truly three keys to success for any effectiove marketing campaign. Let’s take these thoughts one at a time and see how we can adapt them to our own circumstances.
In the world of marketing, makom is placement. What is the best media for your message? For example, if you are aiming for a young audience, then it may be advisable to direct some of your marketing budget toward social networks. If you are looking to reach the yeshivishe crowd, then your first choice would be the mainstream chareidi media, such as The Yated, with its longstanding, loyal readership. If your campaign is targeting prospects via direct mail marketing, then you’ll need to purchase a targeted list to reach qualified prospects.
Mazel’s “middle name” is zman. Timing is everything, right? Did you ever notice that the kosher hotels start advertising their Pesach packages right after Chanukah? It makes perfect sense, because if your product is seasonal, you can’t afford to wait until the season arrives to begin ramping up your efforts. If your organization is planning a dinner, you want people to save the date a couple of months in advance.
Last but not least, there is the lashon, the message itself, which is the way in which you speak to your target audience. Whatever you do, I suggest that you make it as personal as possible. There is a west-coast based organization called “Mission Minded” who deals with the San Francisco Opera, the Levi Strauss Foundation and Stanford University to identify the most effective methods for attracting attention and getting results. They offered some great advice.
“Show the reader respect. Treat each one as an intelligent person. All communication is a transaction of time. Want a reader to think or act? Then offer a fair trade – by showing honest respect, delivering pertinent information, and making every word and image count.
“Respect is the rarest commodity in advertising driven by marketing interests that exploit our primitive anxieties. Authentic advertising in the public interest never treats the reader as a target to be manipulated, but as an aware and critical equal, constantly making perfectly understandable choices about where to spend his or her time.”
Bottom Line Action Step: Add Mazel to your marketing campaign…makom, zman and lashon!
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Yitzchok Saftlas is the CEO of Bottom Line Marketing Group, a premier marketing agency recognized for its goal-oriented branding, sales, and recruitment and fundraising techniques. Serving corporate, non-profit and political clientele, Bottom Line’s notable clients include: Mike Bloomberg for Mayor, Dirshu and TeachNYS.
Readers are encouraged to submit their marketing questions to: ys@BottomLineMG.com
