Marketing Assumptions
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In my earlier post about Skymall, I deferred marketing assumptions to another day. Today is the day:
Skymall’s marketing assumptions.
What would a master ratiocinator like Sherlock Holmes deduce from this glimpse into the in-flight travel market?
Elementary! What we have here is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder on the part of the buyer, pandered to (I am quoting) by the seller!
A harsh and Freudian assessment, Mr. Holmes! you may be thinking. Perhaps. Here are my deductions:
The traveler:
- Has discretionary income and is willing to acquire non-essential (how essential is a hair-thickening laser helmet or two original seats from Yankee stadium?)
- Is “wired” all over (as in Web.2) and expected to respond in a timely way (a few hours, no more) to directives (in text, voice message, twitter, and/or e-mail format) shot from invisible bosses and colleagues all over. Skymall shopping compensates for this ultra connectivity.
- May believe that life is out of control – do YOU feel in control at the airport? - and shops to counter that malaise.
- Has numerous travel-related illnesses or hazards of the road: bad feet, obesity, headaches, tension, lack of lasting social relationships, and a wide variety of complaints due to wired-ness: back pain, sore wrists, short sightedness, and an overheated lap.
- Yet, in spite of considerable sacrifice, feels guilty about travel away from home and family and yearns to assure a comfortable life for her pets, to improve the appearance of his yard and to fill great rooms, entertainment centers, and man-caves with objets d'art, including a surveillance system in the master bedroom.
- Seeks self-assurance and improvement through gadgetry and other services without factual evidence that the gadget, pill, book or service will perform as advertised.
- Likely works in an organization (definitely NOT a self-managing or democratic workplace!) that encourages feelings of inadequacy and is stingy about providing what all workers really want.
PS. Probably not too many SkyMall shoppers work at the Multnomah County Library, Oregon's largest public library, and among one of the most enlightened public libraries in the nation. Check out their copy of Leading from the Middle!
Skymall’s marketing assumptions.
What would a master ratiocinator like Sherlock Holmes deduce from this glimpse into the in-flight travel market?
Elementary! What we have here is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder on the part of the buyer, pandered to (I am quoting) by the seller!
A harsh and Freudian assessment, Mr. Holmes! you may be thinking. Perhaps. Here are my deductions:
The traveler:
- Has discretionary income and is willing to acquire non-essential (how essential is a hair-thickening laser helmet or two original seats from Yankee stadium?)
- Is “wired” all over (as in Web.2) and expected to respond in a timely way (a few hours, no more) to directives (in text, voice message, twitter, and/or e-mail format) shot from invisible bosses and colleagues all over. Skymall shopping compensates for this ultra connectivity.
- May believe that life is out of control – do YOU feel in control at the airport? - and shops to counter that malaise.
- Has numerous travel-related illnesses or hazards of the road: bad feet, obesity, headaches, tension, lack of lasting social relationships, and a wide variety of complaints due to wired-ness: back pain, sore wrists, short sightedness, and an overheated lap.
- Yet, in spite of considerable sacrifice, feels guilty about travel away from home and family and yearns to assure a comfortable life for her pets, to improve the appearance of his yard and to fill great rooms, entertainment centers, and man-caves with objets d'art, including a surveillance system in the master bedroom.
- Seeks self-assurance and improvement through gadgetry and other services without factual evidence that the gadget, pill, book or service will perform as advertised.
- Likely works in an organization (definitely NOT a self-managing or democratic workplace!) that encourages feelings of inadequacy and is stingy about providing what all workers really want.
PS. Probably not too many SkyMall shoppers work at the Multnomah County Library, Oregon's largest public library, and among one of the most enlightened public libraries in the nation. Check out their copy of Leading from the Middle!
John Lubans - portrait by WSJ