Why account-based marketing #abm is important - or, that dog is smokin'

Until recently, marketers did not have the ability to tailor their marketing to specific persons. Marketing either was targeted to everyone (for example, your typical Super Bowl ad) or was targeted to a bunch of people (for example, the readers of Hoard's Dairyman).

Today, of course, online marketers can gather data and metadata and megametadata and target a specific message to me and me alone.

("Janet, I ONLY want this ad to display for people who like the ending of the Wings song 'So Glad To See You Here.'" "Done, boss!")

But Twitter biographies can be seen by everyone, which can cause a problem. I'm sure that the folks at PetTrax saw no problem when they composed this sentence in the @PetTrax Twitter biography:

PetTrax is focused on keeping your pets healthy and vibrant.

Sounds like a winning marketing message, right?

But the PetTrax people had no way of knowing how I personally feel about the word "vibrant." You see, when I think of that word, I think of former Kool marketer Ludo Cremers. Remember him?

"Kool understands the vibrant urban world of the trendsetting, multicultural smoker," said Ludo Cremers, divisional vice president, brand marketing. "Kool is the menthol authority. At the same time, Kool keeps it real and remains linked to the latest urban trends. We'll showcase these trends this year through Kool Mixx and other promotions and events."

So while the PetTrax people want me to think of a device that keeps our pets fed, I'm thinking of a dog with a menthol cigarette in his or her mouth.

Marketing can't solve every problem. Now PetTrax will probably get Paul McCartney to shout at me - and I deserve it.

P.S. Cremers, by the way, is still involved in films.