Filed under: Comment
Here is another wonderful example where ‘promise’ doesn’t quite meet ‘reality’ …
Look at this colourful bus for Singaporean Shopping Centre, The Concourse.
With pictures of balloons, teddies, masks, mobile phones, flowers – surely it’s a one-stop-shop for happiness!? Hell, they even use the tagline, “Where The Celebration Begins!” – so it must be something really special.
Maybe their smorgasbord of shops all have an atmosphere that embodies positivity and excitement – making it a place where retail therapy can occur even without buying a single item? WOW … that would be amazing.
So I get on the bus – all excited and bursting with anticipation – and happily head off to this Mecca of Shopping and Happiness.
10 minutes later, I come to this …
No … this photo was not taken early morning or late at night, it was taken at lunch time – a period where most shopping centres are overwhelmed with the bustle of people. I guess in that respect, The Concourse Shopping Centre IS different from other locations because I counted 47 customers in the whole place!
Everyone was miserable, the choice of shops was unbelievably limited and the atmosphere was about as exciting as a Vasectomy Clinic Waiting Room. [allegedly!]
In short, it was a cold, empty, sterile and bloody boring place where the only ‘celebration’ I experienced was when I saw the EXIT sign.
When will companies learn that brand experience MUST meet brand promise in some way! When? From my perspective, one of the biggest dangers to business today is not R&D, distribution or marketing budgets … it’s when the ego of the company means they ignore consumers viewpoints and needs and simply say whatever they want to hear or believe.
The Concourse Shopping Centre advertising is like a woman wearing a Wonderbra.
On first glance, you think it promises the charms of ‘Dolly Parton’ but once you get to experience the ‘real thing’, you find out you’ve really got yourself a ‘Dakota Fanning!’ [Yes, that truly is the World’s Worst Analogy. Thank You!]
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Dakota Fanning! You do realise that gives you the impression of being Gary Glitter even though I know you were simply trying to be witty.
Comment by George at Cynic August 1, 2006 @ 10:44 amGive it up, you know Andy is the only one who is allowed to make the jokes around here.
Words fail me!
Comment by Rob August 1, 2006 @ 12:21 pmIt kind of works over here where theres only one or two shopping centre per town or city. But places like Singapore or HK where theres one every 100 yards, they need to be much more truthful!
Its like expecting that new progressive Quo album they promised, and then hearing “Sweet Caroline Part VII” as the opening track…
Comment by Rob Mortimer August 1, 2006 @ 4:40 pmI’m going to enrole you into the Quo fanclub … that’ll teach you.
Comment by Robert August 1, 2006 @ 7:22 pmActually I won’t as you’ve named a Neil Diamond song instead of the Quo’s. I wish I didn’t know that fact.
Comment by Robert August 1, 2006 @ 7:25 pmShame! Ok, it doesnt have the word sweet in it, but they are still in the lyrics!
Besides, my parents have both seen the Quo live, so they may already be in the club…
Comment by Rob Mortimer August 1, 2006 @ 7:37 pmNever … under any circumstances … EVER acknowledge that possible fact again!
Comment by Rob August 1, 2006 @ 10:15 pmHaha!
Well, they aren’t in the club; but they do have lots of the 70s albums on vinyl in the attic…
Comment by Rob Mortimer August 1, 2006 @ 10:31 pm