It's very natural to take things for granted all our lives until we lose them.
The infamous statements from heartbroken girlfriends - 'I didn't know what he meant to me until we broke up' or my family's reaction to our cook declaring his vacation - 'The scrambled eggs will be different from now on' and so on. Everything/everyone has a way of being missed and nothing we can do can reverse that feeling.
Until last year, Father's Day was just another marketing gimmick I noticed because the store, Archie's made it so obvious with their tacky advertisements. This year, it seems like everyone around me is talking about Father's Day gifts, brunches, etc. Suddenly, my focus went from Burberry's new collection to the ties they had displayed for Father's Day and from real estate adverts on the radio to the ones screaming about Father's Day.
My father had a simple philosophy - 'no day comes again'. So he never believed in giving one specific Sunday more importance than any other day. And it was not only for Father's Day, I once told him about the importance of the date 11/11/11 and his response to that was - "So you are trying to imply that something like a 8/9/10 or 2/4/09 will come again? So what's the big deal about 11/11/11!".
With not so much excitement about this particular day as a kid; it was a usual ritual, I would get my father a card and write a short note. My father never had an off on Sundays so I would leave it with my mother because he was long gone before I woke up.
The infamous statements from heartbroken girlfriends - 'I didn't know what he meant to me until we broke up' or my family's reaction to our cook declaring his vacation - 'The scrambled eggs will be different from now on' and so on. Everything/everyone has a way of being missed and nothing we can do can reverse that feeling.
Until last year, Father's Day was just another marketing gimmick I noticed because the store, Archie's made it so obvious with their tacky advertisements. This year, it seems like everyone around me is talking about Father's Day gifts, brunches, etc. Suddenly, my focus went from Burberry's new collection to the ties they had displayed for Father's Day and from real estate adverts on the radio to the ones screaming about Father's Day.
My father had a simple philosophy - 'no day comes again'. So he never believed in giving one specific Sunday more importance than any other day. And it was not only for Father's Day, I once told him about the importance of the date 11/11/11 and his response to that was - "So you are trying to imply that something like a 8/9/10 or 2/4/09 will come again? So what's the big deal about 11/11/11!".
With not so much excitement about this particular day as a kid; it was a usual ritual, I would get my father a card and write a short note. My father never had an off on Sundays so I would leave it with my mother because he was long gone before I woke up.
I'm not the only one who lost her father comparatively early in her life, so do people like me become a minority for present marketers? Isn't there any story curated for us?
If I was in their position, I'd be weaving a great story about how my mother plays the role of my father, sometimes, even better than he did. Why wouldn't any luxury brand touch upon this emotion? Why wouldn't a Burberry introduce a boyfriend shirt for those mothers who play a dual role for their children?
In a recent book I am reading - 'All Marketers Tell Stories', Seth Godin talks about how you have to appeal to a small niche group in the market who share the same worldview (thought process) and they will help you forward your story to the larger audience.
If I was in their position, I'd be weaving a great story about how my mother plays the role of my father, sometimes, even better than he did. Why wouldn't any luxury brand touch upon this emotion? Why wouldn't a Burberry introduce a boyfriend shirt for those mothers who play a dual role for their children?
In a recent book I am reading - 'All Marketers Tell Stories', Seth Godin talks about how you have to appeal to a small niche group in the market who share the same worldview (thought process) and they will help you forward your story to the larger audience.
Aren't we ideal ones to buy a story, a story that doesn't make us feel like outcasts on a day like Father's Day? I really believe that it's true that people have started following trends and trust people like themselves more than people of authority but, at the end of the day we buy something because we tell ourselves a tale. A tale that justifies the need for something or someone.
Isn't that the reason why people buy expensive phones, designer clothes, trusted cosmetics or even luxury cars? Father's Day isn't just one opportunity to explore, there are millions! And masses waiting to be tapped. The question remains who'd take the risk to take advantage of their sensitive spots elegantly.
No comments:
Post a Comment