Experience Economy

It was ironic when we watched No Logo in class because I felt like the topic being discussed was pretty much the same thing that had been preached in Sunday's sermon at Commonway in Muncie. The point of the sermon was that as Christians today, there are ways that we can honor God through the things we do such as listening to music, going to school, going to Starbucks, or other things. The big question he was asking was why we do certain things. For example, if I go to Starbucks, am I going because I really enjoy the coffee and can actually afford to spend my money on that, or am I going for the experience? It is very valid to say that we make a lot of purchases for the experience. When I came to class on last Thursday 3/25/10, it blew my mind that we were watching a video and learning about companies selling experiences. Pardon me using Starbucks again, but the angle that gets the sale is that there is this oasis in our hypothetical desert where we can drink fancy and expensive beverages, hook up to wi-fi to do business, read a book, listen to music, and essentially feel cultured. It is an experience. If you want coffee, all you have to do is scoop some out of a container and brew it in the comfort of your own home. We go to Starbucks almost searching for a way to feel better about ourselves. It is all too easy to get sucked into this experience economy and get fed ideas rather than products. A lot of products come with an idea, like No Logo explained about Coke taking on some idea of peace and togetherness in the 70s and Sprite's partnership with rap music in the 90s. We found out by watching the video, that it is very possible to not only market a product, but a revolution. I just find this absolutely fascinating. Next time you choose to buy a CD or go to a particular restaurant, think about the experience involved.