“Panic marketing” is a term I read in The 10 Commandments of B-to-B Direct Marketing, a white paper by The Hacker Group. It’s based on the misguided belief that direct marketing (or marketing) can somehow create faster or increased sales for products that have built-in sales cycles.
“Panic marketing almost never works,” the Hacker Group writes. “If the customer needs nine months to make a decision, direct marketing can’t affect sales this quarter. If the customer needs 18 months to make a decision, direct marketing can’t affect sales this year.
“The proper way to use direct marketing is to generate qualified leads on an ongoing basis.”
All true, but often ignored in our hyped-up, competitive economy. If you’re a marketer and an agency promises you the world, be wary. If you’re an agency and to get the account the marketer expects the world, educate them or simply run.
Neil Sagebiel 
Hey, Neil! Good to find your blog. If anyone wants the full white paper, it’s on our site — http://www.hackergroup.com.
Thanks for the mention.
Hmmm. Thought I posted a comment earlier . . . but it’s not here! So much for my technosavviness.
Anyway, nice to see your blog, Neil! And thanks for the kind words about our white paper. If anyone reading this wants the full version, it’s available on our website at http://www.hackergroup.com.
Good to heard from you, Carolyn. It’s been a long time, and I hope you and Ross are doing well. Your comment(s) didn’t immediately appear because all comments come to me first for approval. Thanks for adding the link, something I should have done.