What the Hell is...Murketing?

July 11, 2008 12:00 AM

Murketing is a combination of the terms murky and marketing. It is a deliberate choice by a corporation to create a brand image that is mysterious or not well-defined in order to inspire curiosity in the consumer. With technology changes and new approaches to viral and word-of-mouth advertising, it isn't immediately clear that a brand is behind a new video or message -- be it mobile phones that pop popcorn or a giant LEGO boulder chasing Indiana Jones.

A successful murketing campaign is intriguing enough that potential customers will seek to discover exactly what is being sold or who is the one selling to them. The consumer then ascribes values to the brand and is the one to proactively establish a relationship. Critics are split on whether the murketing of viral videos, like BMW's "Rampenfest" ads, will ultimately damage or save brand reputations.

Origin: New York Times columnist Rob Walker coined the term "murketing" in an article for Outside magazine when he was seeking to describe the deliberately obsequious marketing of Red Bull. He regularly explores the relationship between consumers and marketers on his blog, Murketing.com and in his new book, "Buying In."

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