My wife and I are currently expecting our first child. As first time time parents, we have started to the do the normal things to prepare: read a few books, begin to set up the nursery, and hear stories about other parents’ experiences (sometimes ad nauseum). I have felt the inklings of parental vibes in the last 7 months, but as we get closer they get stronger and stronger. During that time we have begun to feather the nest and get the nursery ready to house this baby and all baby related needs.
During the outfitting of our baby lair, there has been many moments of anticipation and excitement waiting for our new child. There has however been two instances where I have fallen prey to marketers. Now, you may say, we’ve all done that! What else is new?. As a marketer, I pride myself on being able to sniff out Unique Selling Propositions (USP), and don’t succumb to the tricks of my own industry. That said, two of the biggest industries for capitalizing on raw emotion are the wedding industry and the baby industry. Going to 7 weddings this year, I could see the wedding industry doing an excellent job selling services and products to create an experience. In the baby industry I could see that also playing itself out in two key instances:
1. Purchasing a handmade quilt for the nursery
2. Purchasing some other touches and finishes for the room
Now let me put the responsibility where it is due: my desire as a marketer to build an experience for my child was similar to my desire to build that for a brand I work with. Let me clarify by saying the emotion levels are totally different, and my love for my child will far eclipse any company I work with or for. That said, I could see myself trying to build an experience for myself through the entire baby experience. This entire experience was pushed by clever marketers who greased the rails for me to go nuts as a father to be. I will share these two stories
The Quilt Auction
The first took place at the Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale in May of this year. This is an excellent event where the entire community works together to donate goods and services to a giant fundraiser. This fundraiser that raises nearly half a million annually is anchored by the largest quilt sale in North America. At this quilt auction, my wife and I stumbled across a handmade quilt that would be perfect for our nursery. We instantly fell in love and “had to have it”. The tension built as we came closer to the auction. The bidding for some of these handmade quilts can go into the thousands! “Our” quilt came up, and the bidding started at a furious pace. Just when I thought we had won it, another bidder came in to raise the stakes. I faced a moment of truth: should I fold to this new bidder or go for the gusto. An image of my future child flashed in my head and I just went for it. I probably paid more for it than I thought I would but looking back I am glad I did. Now I can’t blame the Mennonite women running the auction – they were as Unmarketing as they could be wearing their Sunday best and their prayer bonnets. Despite how happy I was about the purchase, I felt myself wanting to create an experience, similar to the experience I would try to create for others.
Pottery Barn Kids and the Temple of Doom
The next instance was far more intense. I found myself in the clutches of Pottery Barn Kids, a retail environment selling experience all over the place. At the auction where we picked out a farmyard theme and wanted to match it with other accoutrements. So we were ordering the individual elements for the room and then found out that the bedding and rug we wanted were catalog items and could not be shipped to Canada. I suddenly became incensed! Who are they to say that my child can’t have the barnyard themed rug for their room?. My need to create the experience for my child became so great that I suddenly started searching for solutions to this problem so that my child would not be robbed of this experience.
As a new parent to be, you don’t want to deprive your child of anything. I was so riled up that I would probably stab anyone that got between me and this barnyard themed rug. I then had an out of body experience and asked myself what the heck am I doing? Is this that important ? I realized that I was a marketer that had fallen prey to a marketer. Such a well composed trap that I myself could have built. This is truly selling an experience in its purest form. It doesn’t hurt that I was all riled up by emotions but it happened. I fell victim to a marketing trap. I am not sure where it is but I am sure there is some irony in that!
Summary:
Even the best marketers can fall prey to marketing traps. I do have to say it does take one heck of an experiential sell to suck me in, but it was done quite successfully on these two instance. I would encourage you as marketers to consider the traps you build because before you know it you could fall into one yourself. Consider how you would feel to get trapped in it when it happens. To Pottery Barn, if you are reading this please ship it to me in Toronto Canada. If not, I am on my way to Rochester in Upstate New York at my relatives house to pick up the farmyard themed baby rug.
The first took place at the Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale in May of this year. This is an excellent event where the entire community works together to donate goods and services to a giant fundraiser. This fundraiser that raises nearly half a million annually is anchored by the largest quilt sale in North America. At this quilt auction, my wife and I stumbled across a handmade quilt that would be perfect for our nursery. We instantly fell in love and “had to have it”. The tension built as we came closer to the auction. The bidding for some of these handmade quilts can go into the thousands! “Our” quilt came up, and the bidding started at a furious pace. Just when I thought we had won it, another bidder came in to raise the stakes. I faced a moment of truth: should I fold to this new bidder or go for the gusto. An image of my future child flashed in my head and I just went for it. I probably paid more for it than I thought I would but looking back I am glad I did. Now I can’t blame the Mennonite women running the auction – they were as Unmarketing as they could be wearing their Sunday best and their prayer bonnets. Despite how happy I was about the purchase, I felt myself wanting to create an experience, similar to the experience I would try to create for others.
The next instance was far more intense. I found myself in the clutches of Pottery Barn Kids, a retail environment selling experience all over the place. At the auction where we picked out a farmyard theme and wanted to match it with other accoutrements. So we were ordering the individual elements for the room and then found out that the bedding and rug we wanted were catalog items and could not be shipped to Canada. I suddenly became incensed! Who are they to say that my child can’t have the barnyard themed rug for their room?. My need to create the experience for my child became so great that I suddenly started searching for solutions to this problem so that my child would not be robbed of this experience.
As a new parent to be, you don’t want to deprive your child of anything. I was so riled up that I would probably stab anyone that got between me and this barnyard themed rug. I then had an out of body experience and asked myself what the heck am I doing? Is this that important ? I realized that I was a marketer that had fallen prey to a marketer. Such a well composed trap that I myself could have built. This is truly selling an experience in its purest form. It doesn’t hurt that I was all riled up by emotions but it happened. I fell victim to a marketing trap. I am not sure where it is but I am sure there is some irony in that!
October 27, 2010
Great post. You hit the nail on the head: the wedding industry and the baby industry are the big ones. But, while they capitalize on positive emotions during a joyful time, I can think of another industry in which some marketers capitalize on feelings of sorrow: the funeral industry. Some marketers will manipulate grief-stricken people into purchases, making them think about the guilt they would feel for not giving their loved ones a “proper” farewell.
Emotions are powerful! In the moment, when our emotions are engaged, nothing seems more important. But after the fact, with a clear head, some things we get roped into seem absurd.
October 27, 2010
Having worked in the wedding & event industry, I couldn’t agree with you more. That being said I find it true of most products we’re told we can’t live with out. In my opinion some of the best marketing campaigns play on our emotions and wait for our purchase. I’ve personally found this true of campaigns for vehicles, cameras, cell phones and even fast food restaurants.
Great Post.
October 27, 2010
Joseph the blog post is a wonderful story to share with marketing professionals but more importantly the protective love you have for your new child will be a wonderful story to share with your new bundle of joy at the right time.
I also now want a farm rug — lovely and I would have wrestled you for this same design a few years ago.
Cindy
October 29, 2010
This is often a top notch blog site. I’ve been back many times during the last seven days and want to subscribe to your rss feed making use of Google but find it difficult to understand the right way to do it precisly. Do you know of any tutorials?
October 29, 2010
There is a RSS button right on the front of the site. Just use that to that. Also please subscribe using the button on the front page.
October 30, 2010
This is often a really good website. I’ve been back more than once over the past 7 days and wish to subscribe to your rss implementing Google but find it difficult to work out the right way to do it very well. Do you know of any sort of tutorials?
October 31, 2010
I just StumbledUpon this. Not bad. I’ll give it a thumbs up.
November 2, 2010
hey man, nice blog…really like it and added it to bookmarks. keep up with good work
November 2, 2010
I’d like to thank you for the time you took in writing this article. You’ve an inspiration for me. I’ve passed this on to one of my friends.
November 2, 2010
Thanks, Very useful resource!!
November 5, 2010
Joseph,
Been meaning to respond to this post for awhile… I sat there smiling when I read your post because I have been there twice before and experiencing it RIGHT NOW for the 3rd time. It’s all about the emotions, and I truly believe that when you get so emotionally connected to something no amount of logical information, thinking, data or anything else can stop you. Well, maybe not as cut and dry like that but the story you gave us is so bang on, and is what marketers want to achieve. Thanks for sharing the story!!
Good luck with your new gig!