Letter from Gord Hotchkiss

Welcome to the online home of Enquiro.

Why read a letter from the President of a company? Well, I'm guessing that either you hope to learn more about the company by learning about the person at the head of it, or you are curious about what makes me tick. I hope I can satisfy both.

I've always had a love-hate relationship with advertising. I love the feeling of making an authentic connection with someone genuinely interested in what my clients have to offer. I'm curious about the psychology involved in persuasion. And since the first day I saw it, I've been awed and amazed by the potential of the Internet. I'm fortunate that I can spend each and every day working in an industry that continually interests me.

But I also have chosen to work in one of the most frustrating industries there can be. Persuasion has a dark side, and all too often advertising stoops to this level. The track record of advertising is more black than white. Control of the consumer seems to be the Holy Grail for many in this industry, pushing profits ahead of personal well-being.

I believe the shift in the balance of power between buyers and sellers represented by the Internet is a long overdue one. The stigma of information asymmetry is quickly being erased and we'll all be the better for that.

The Internet puts the buyer in the driver's seat, leaving the seller to persuade because they can no longer push. It evens the playing field. And nothing has done more to shift the balance than search. Search is the tool of the empowered buyer, changing the dynamics of the marketing equation forever.

I'm very proud that Enquiro has had a role to play in helping marketers better understand both the power and pitfalls of search. We have always kept our bearings firmly set to the behavior of people, insisting that technology has to fit humans, rather than humans fitting technology.

My view of the world is more right brain than left. I always choose strategy over tactics, qualitative over quantitative, concept over detail. This has presented a challenge in an industry as focused on technology and tactic as search is. One of the ongoing struggles is to make sure strategy and tactical execution stay in balance. My goal for Enquiro is to continue to strive towards getting the balance right.

Gord Hotchkiss
President and CEO