As a marketer, have you spent many a late night coming up with a new marketing concept? Or perhaps you are a business owner who seeks to balance ethical business practices with making sustainable profits. You shake your head as you read the recommendations of your marketing manager. Quick-fix solutions. No long term thinking. Everything is now, now, now. So you decide to watch Discovery channel. You flick the remote. You stare at the screen...

Tattooed faces of Maori warriors from New Zealand. Performing a war dance. Raw, authentic, alive. You think, this what my marketing should be like. Real, natural, authentic. A facial tattoo worn with pride rather than an uniform with a brand on the pocket.

Tell me, have you heard of the Maori of New Zealand? Probably not. Just like not many people outside of China have heard of Sun Tzu. Yet his ancient text on the arts of war has influenced Chinese business thinking for centuries. So what's the point? Well in today's global markets, understanding different cultures is very important. Even more important is the ability to sense the subtle layers of communication. To perceive what's important in the minds and hearts of your international customers. It's about vibrations. Picking up what your customers are thinking. What they are feeling.

Now the word Maori is a very interesting word. Physically it means the native people of New Zealand. There are about 650,000 Maori in a world of 6.5 billion people. They are one of the most advanced native cultures in terms of integrating western thinking. They managed to sign a treaty with the British which showed strong independence and political acumen. Metaphysically the word Maori means pure, natural vibration. You are 100% pure natural vibration wrapped up in a body. You are 100% pure YOU. Every person has their own unique vibration. Their own personal signature. Their own individual tattoo. Everybody is a natural vibration of energy.

Here is how you can use the word Maori as an acronym to market and celebrate your uniqueness...

M = Metaphor. Use stories. Use symbols. Use the senses to impart your message. This is why the tattooed Maori face is such a powerful metaphor. It evokes the primeval emotions. The whirling spirals of the cosmos. The star patterns. The flowing tides. The unfurling fern. These images were all metaphors. They all represented aspects of nature. By tattooing these symbols into the skin they strengthened a man's connection to the universe

      
Return to the Table of Contents