Chilligavva

I really like living in the present times.  No really!.  Even kings in medieval lands did not enjoy the progress we now have at our finger tips. Want to try out new software?  Download the evaluation version and check it out.  Want to hear the latest songs by your favorite singer? Listen to sample songs.  Go to the supermarket and come back with new products being given away free!  And this feeling got more emphasized when I was reading Seth Godin’s article Taking photographs vs giving photographs this morning and had to conclude that I like the open style of marketing consisting of trials, evaluations and samplers.

During my first years of foray in the US, there were certain aspects to US shopping, I found very enthralling.  We had arrived into the country during  the first week of November, and all my Indian friends suggested thanksgiving shopping as a must cover event.   Our local friend had taken us to CompUSA, Best Buy and Sams Club.  I found it very nice after battling the cold, to land into Sams Club and partake of the hot coffee and bagels they had laid out, for their early bird customers.  Of course I had to listen to traditional guys in our group snigger that this guy (Sams Club) was indeed very lame to even offer freebies such as coffee.  But the ploy worked when I had to make a decision to buy club membership.  It was a no brainer.  I went with Sams Club.  Even today I notice club members getting free food samples with obvious relish.  I even think that half these folk breakfast and lunch on samplers.  But somewhere between this extreme interpretation of the sampler culture and the marketing efforts, things sell, which is the ultimate goal.

In sharp contrast, last year I had attended the Rockbrook Art Festival in Omaha.  The first point that struck me was that the talent here was so so, despite the heavy marketing.  In atleast 60% of the stalls I encountered mediocore wares and extreme hostility from the artist.  Most of the atmosphere was: “yeah you have come to look right?  I KNOW you will not buy, therefore I do not need to be nice to you!”  Needless to say, the couple of stalls that had people with positive attitude, reachable prices and freedom to browse the exhibits, ended up with better sales than the others.

I think the way we do things have subtly changed. And marketers need to recognize these trends and stay ahead of the game. I experienced a similar heady rush when I attended a Telugu concert of one of my favourite music directors called Devi Sri Prasad, this year at Chicago.  I had smuggled in my camera in my handbag, and was mentally hoping for an oppurtune moment.  Imagine my surprise when the organizers told the audience to feel free and take as many pictures they liked.  Even the concert had lots of audience participation. Due to the superior technology in covering the event from the organizers side, the amateur photographers were in no way competing.  The organizers got it right.  Now the audience would go home with positive feelings and make sure that they attend future concerts.

Most important the audience ended up feeling special. And that is the hook point in marketing, where the customer feels he got the better part of the deal.

Sigh!  I wish more people got it, and not act so miserly..

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