Why

I'm often asked why I named my company Bastille Marketing and why a fleur-de-lis logo. There are several reasons that made sense that I would like to share with you here.
1. My birthday is July 14. This is the French National Independence day - much like July 4 in the US.
2. France's Independence Day is known as 'Bastille' Day, based on a historical event known as the Storming of the Bastille. (Hence the tag line 'Storming the Marketing Establishment.')
3. The Storming of the Bastille is credited with the launch of the French Revolution, much like the US Boston Tea Party.
3. The Bastille was a French prison which Wikipedia defines as "a fortress-prison in Paris which had often held people jailed on the basis of lettres de cachet, arbitrary royal indictments that could not be appealed."
4. As further stated on the Wikipedia entry on Bastille Day, "The storming of the Bastille was more important as a rallying point and symbolic act of rebellion than a practical act of defiance."
5. The fleur-de-lis (or fleur-de-lys) is a symbolic icon of France, often represented on the French coat of arms, although it traces its history back to medieval times. It is also on many other European coats' of arms, illustrating its power and presence throughout time.
6. As a Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity member*, the fleur-de-lis is our official symbol, sometimes represented by the Iris flower.
* Note: Kappa was establish in 1870, well before the terminology "sorority" was in use. Thus, we are a women's fraternity and one of the oldest Greek-letter organizations in America.

For all of these points, there were so many 'coincidental' intersections of these visual and factual representations within my life, that it seemed natural to me to incorporate both Bastille Day and the fleur-de-lis into my latest (ad) venture, Bastille Marketing.

In my perspective, these symbols define the nature of social media, which challenges the way traditional marketing practices and tactics have always been conducted and implemented. Social media embraces both your loyal customers AND those vocal detractors, giving you and your business an opportunity to interact and engage with your potential audience.