Today was my last day off before the end of the month. I spent the morning at Ikea, because they are giving away free breakfast and coffee all weekend. I bypassed the display rooms and went straight to the cafeteria. It was only 9:30, but the line for the free breakfast was already well formed, curving around the metal gates like a pet snake, waiting to be fed. I added myself to the end. The free breakfast included potatoes, scrambled eggs, 2 strips of bacon, and 1 cup of coffee. I found an empty table and began to read some of the book I had brought with me. I looked around and found some comfort in the busy setting. Even though I was sitting alone, I was surrounded by people, and didn't feel like I was alone at all.
After I had finished eating, I decided to take "the long way home", and walk through the maze of mass produced merchandise that is Ikea. I've always loved the way the store is set up, allowing the consumer to browse the products by walking into completed rooms with cut away walls. It is like a life size doll house, each room reflecting a unique style, every customer connecting to the warm, welcoming feeling that comes from playing house for a while. I decided to give my sister a call, since it was the weekend I thought it would be a good time to catch her in between the demands of her busy life as a single working mom. I told her about the free breakfast, and that maybe the Ikea in her state was also participating.
"I love Ikea!" she exclaimed.
"I know, they have a lot of stuff here..." I responded,a little distracted by the sheer volume of merchandise for sale.
"No, its not the stuff, I just love going, its the experience." She clarified.
Walking through, I concluded that Ikea does have a lot of stuff for sale, but what they are truly selling is...a feeling. Companies do this all the time though, so this is really not a breakthrough truth I just uncovered or anything. Obvious examples that come to mind include: Pillsbury, Folgers, Bluebell, Kay Jewelers, Calvin Klein, anything Oprah touches...the list goes on and on and on. Companies have found great success in connecting with consumers on a personal level. Because of this, simple, straightforward advertisements are now the road less traveled.
*Side note*: one of my favorite lines in a film can be found in the movie The Muppets Take Manhattan when Kermit gets amnesia and gets a job at a marketing company. They are trying to come up with a slogan to sell Ocean Breeze soap, but all they have are "Ocean Breeze soap, for people who don't want to stink" and "Ocean Breeze soap, its just like taking a cruise except there's no boat and you don't actually go anywhere". Kermit suggests the line "Ocean Breeze soap will get you clean". The other frog on the marketing team responds with "you mean just say what the product does? Why no one's ever tried that!"
O.K. so now, instead of saying what the product actually does, a lot of companies find success in conveying how the product makes you feel. Consumers are essentially attempting to build a lifestyle for themselves by means of the products they purchase. In June and onward, I will keep this truth in mind when faced with the hundreds of advertisements vying for my attention on the daily.
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Hi there, I have followed your postings all month and am extremely impressed at your willpower, determination and inner strength at following your goal. Many of your comments made me think about how consuming effects our lives. I thought about following your example, but life here in Germany is not quite like that in the US. I have never seen a free breakfast or free "any kind of food" here...and coupons are also not done. Kudos to you!! Hope to hear more about your next adventure!
ReplyDeleteHey Steph! I finally got my internet back so I am able to look at your blog, and it is wonderfully thought-provoking.I honestly think that advertisers are selling a sense of humor or a personal connection, like you said. And at this point, I do not buy into all of that because instead I shop at natural food stores and read magazines about natural products, all of which are never advertised on television or "normal" magazines. So it is refreshing to see an article like this that describes the purpose of advertisements. If they were to be honest, they would tell you their product was bad for you or dangerous as well as "cleaning your skin" because a lot of soaps have bad stuff in them which is harmful to out bodies. Anyway, just stopping in to say hello, and felt compelled to comment after reading the first article. I am really impressed with this blog so far! I am excited to read the rest. See you at work,
ReplyDeleteHayley