I love all the ways life and marketing intersect. And when you’re obsessed with marketing like I tend to be, there is never a shortage of these examples.
Like my new breadbox. For years, due to lack of appropriate pantry space, we have kept our bread in an open wicker basket on the counter, next to the fruit bowl and the coffee maker. A high profile spot in our kitchen. The wicker basket was always full to the brim because everyone in the family preferred a different kind of bread.
And I love bread. I’ve always worked hard to keep from eating too much of it. That is until the new breadbox. The breadbox is made out of bamboo that looks like wood and has a nice little roll top under which we can squeeze at least three different loaves. And guess what? I haven’t eaten bread in two weeks! Out of sight, out of mind!
It occurred to me that this is a perfect metaphor for how brand awareness works. The open basket of bread was a reminder of the goodies within, tempting me to grab some toast for breakfast, make a sandwich for lunch, or munch on a Fiber One roll before dinner. Advertising, like the open bread basket, simply reminds people of the choices they have before them. When there is no advertising, people tend to forget those choices, and possibly turn to other brands, or in my case, other foods, without giving it a second thought.
When I was giving up bread in favor of cashews, bananas and cheese sticks, it didn’t occur to me that I was making new choices. They were just easier to grab while the bread was out of site behind the role top. And here’s the thing: I actually feel better without all that bread. The closed roll top – or lack of advertising – gave me an opportunity to try something new – a new brand – or category – of foods. And because of this I may have changed my habits for good.
It amazed me how easy it was to forget a food and a habit of eating it, simply because it was out of site. I can only surmise that my loyalty to bread was weak and made weaker by its lack of visible presence in the kitchen. The metaphor continues: a brand, until firmly implanted in people’s minds and daily habits, needs fairly regular exposure. The cluttered world we live in, like my cluttered kitchen, offers endless choices, and its only natural to consider the choices that are most often right in front of us.
If only this would work for the ice cream in the freezer!
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