Moving Forward

Brandweek's Dec. 3 cover story, Experience Necessary, takes a look at you-know-what, the "hottest thing in marketing." It's a nice snapshot of tours, pop-up shops and other experiential tactics marketers are testing to get in people's faces and spaces. Personally, I love the guy who quips this:

"If you put a bunch of jackasses in front of Grand Central Station tossing out gum and calling it experiential, you're taking the soul out of it. The idea is to have the consumer walk away from an experience and remember and talk about it--not to have gum thrown at them."

To check out Kenneth Hein's story, go here. More later, Becky (bebenkamp@brandweek.com)

Comments

[Sam]

I have only rarely put people in front of Grand Central giving out gum, but we did not throw it at them, we only chewed it and stuck it on their backs.

[Laura S]

Yay, Becky's got a blog! Ain't nobody could do it better...

Now, as for the quoted quip about jackasses at Grand Central tossing out gum -- as opposed to doing something that would get consumers talking: Well, I've been tossed at and here I am talking about it!

This probably has little Higher Meaning, but it's an incident that has stuck (har!) in my mind for years as one of the Oddest Moments in the Annals of Marketing -- and now finally a moment to share: I was indeed offered a sample of gum and of course greedily accepted and was just wondering if I should ask for a few more for "friends," when I heard the actual friend I was with say "No thanks" to her proffered sample.

What kind of person/consumer turns down free anything? I don't care if it's pocket lint...please. Give the gum to a friend who chews (um, that would have been me); give it to an orphanage; sell it on eBay. What the...?

As stated, this teeny vignette has little point other than perhaps that some people are totally unmarketable to. But I had to share -- that "No, thanks" has been echoing in my head for years now, and it of course has made me ponder the Bigger Questions, like "Do we ever really know another person?"

[ron jeremy]

Brandweek should learn what experiential marektign is first before their ediors write about it. long live guerilla

[becky]

Hee hee... Glad to know America's fave porn star is reading! I'll pass along your comments to Ken, the "edior" who wrote that story:) Thanks for playing, "Ron"
Becky