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August 16, 2005
Are You Experienced? (Part 2)
Question: Why does the world need green ketchup? Answer: It doesn't. But it's available on your grocery shelves anyway. And its popularity with kids is undisputed.
In his presentation yesterday, Jim Gilmore referred to the creation of green ketchup as "sensorializing." If you want to turn something into a memorable experience, pick a sense that was previously ignored and change it. No one "sees" ketchup. We know it's red. Until it's green. Or purple or whatever.
Same with the roller-coaster gumball machine (or the singing bartender). No one expects to "see" or "hear" something during these transactions.
Associations are full of experiences: tradeshows, conferences, seminars, publications, websites, membership campaigns, board meetings, you name it. Each of these can be turned from plain-old experiences into loyalty-inspiring all-caps EXPERIENCES by hitting what Gilmore calls the "sweet spot."
Here's a sketch of the model Gilmore presented on the sweet spot:
An experience that is absorbing and passive is entertaining.
An experience that is absorbing and active is educational.
An experience that is immersive and active is escapist.
An experience that is immersive and passive is esthetic. Note that's esthetic with an "e" not aesthetic with an "a". Esthetic is an architectural term for "the value of just being there."
The sweet spot is the center -- enabling members access to all of these experiences. For example, if a meeting offers components that are educational, entertaining, escapist, and esthetic -- that feeling that a place is just worth being -- then that meeting has hit the sweet spot.
In other words, it's an experience that people ENJOY ... where they LEARN ... where they have to GO away from their everyday concerns ... and where they feel they need and want to BE.
That doesn't just apply to meetings, though. That sort of experience should be sought in everything an association does for its members.
I want to touch on Gilmore's thoughts on theming in a later post.
Posted by Kevin Holland at August 16, 2005 03:25 PM
Comments
On the green ketchup thing--I think surprise has a lot to do with it. Kids like the surprise of finding that the ketchup is a nonconformist green, rather than the usual red. They'll get a kick out of that indefinitely--it's cool to be different. But as we get older, it gets harder to surprise and delight (as opposed to surprise and freak/gross out; I doubt many adults love that green hamburger sauce, much less want to engage with it in any way).
That makes the challenge for associations that much more difficult. Is the chance of hitting that sweet spot worth the risk? Some memberships will jump right on, while others might look at innovations like they were something out of James Lileks’ Gallery of Regrettable Food (which if you haven't checked it out, is at http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/index.html. Totally hilarious.)
I know lots of association meeting planners who have great ideas for getting to that sweet spot for the annual conference, but can't overcome the risk-aversiveness on the board/committee level.
Did he talk about this?
Posted by: Sue Pelletier at August 17, 2005 11:46 AM
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