Maori - The Tattooed Face Of Native Marketing

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

A = Authentic. You must be authentic. Your marketing, your business is an extension of who you are. So you must align the purpose of your business with your own higher purpose. What would you die for? Or what would you survive for? Your answers to these questions point towards your higher purpose. Your true path. This is why the tattoo was so respected by the Maori. The spilling of blood and the intense pain endured during the tattooing process gave the tattoo-wearer much mana or prestige. The blood and the pain strengthened the character of the person for peace and war.

O = Organic. Model the wisdom of nature. Look to the insects, the plants, the animals, the trees for lessons on life and business. We are a part of nature, not apart from nature. So finds way to be more organic in your thinking, in your actions. Think about your mortality for a moment. One day you will die. What will endure after your body has gone? In death there is life reborn. So find ways to leave a legacy that will last for a 1000 years or more.

R = Reciprocity. The Maori law of reciprocity is called Koha. It means to exchange energy. It is the principle of giving and receiving. Just like breathing, you must exhale in order to inhale. Life and nature operate on reciprocity. For example a forest is a marketplace of exchange. Energy is being exchanged right now between the many species that comprise a forest. It represents the perfect economy. The perfect marketplace where everything benefits. There is no waste. Just transformation of raw matter into useable energy. So make sure that you are finding ways to cooperate and share your abundance with others. You make a living from what you get. You make a life from what you give.

I = Inspired. The word "inspired" comes from the Latin root word spiritus meaning breath. So what ignites your breath? What makes feel alive? It is essential for the longevity of your business that you build it from the heartwood of inspiration. Carved with the labouring hand of love. There to stand for centuries as shelter for the homeless and the needy.

So when you need to add more impact, just think Maori and set your inner vibrations to high. Tattoo your mark upon the face of the world.