Tuesday, July 10, 2007
 
The Bad Idea
This month's Business 2.0 (read it here if you have Adobe Flash Player) has a big story about Burning Man, the annual Woodstock for Generation X-Y. Page 16 has The Big Idea, a quote from Tom Price, the environmental manager for Burning Man, on why companies are eager to promote their wares at Burning Man:
    Here's the value proposition: 40,000 of the smartest most socially networked content-generationg people on the planet, whose tolerance for B.S. is negative point-five, all checking out your product.
Yeah, hyping your "hype-free" consumers, among whom the rest of us expect to already find the most smarmy and self-absorbed of the sweet demographic. However, I don't have to mock it. Actual attendees and devotees of the highly-hyped festival are on it:
    I for one am still in shock. To say I feel betrayed would be more accurate. The one thing that's drilled into your head from day one is that there is no branding, no marketing, no commercialism, no money at Burning Man. The image of the Man with a suit on is in poor taste, in my opinion. I can't believe the writer (rightly so) describes us as a "tangible business asset." I guess I have until now, refused to admit that the CEO of Burning Man would ever think of me as just a consumer worth only $250. I attend Burning Man for the people, the creativity and the fact that the life on the playa, for me, is far divorced from my daily routine. When I'm there, I feel like I am part of something big. The people I meet and the enthusiasm I throw into the event is what brings me back year after year. But to hear that my efforts, opinions, and education simply makes me a member of some marketing department's dream demographic is disappointing. This new development saddens me.
Sometimes you just have to throw a little water on effigies when they turn into pinatas. Or something.

- posted by Brian J. @ 7:05 PM
Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home
 
To say Noggle, one first must be able to say the "Nah."