The story about the salesman pushing the grand piano and a wall being knocked down into the bedroom to make room for it.
It was clearly meant tongue-in-cheek, or at least that is how I took it.
Of course nobody buys a piano because of a pushy salesman if their house can not accomodate it, but it is a nice analogy to describe some of the process that goes on when people buy stuff they don't need or have the ability to use.
Have a look at this for how far the 'salespeople' are willing to go:
Oh. You took my response to the story literally? I was responding to the way in which the "hard-working professional man" was painted as a victim. Would you say uppity restaurants that focus more on the presentation of the food and the ambience than the bland quality of their fare are to be faulted for positioning themselves thusly? If people see fit to pay for the snob value, more power to them..
'Pester power' is a well-known soft spot exploited by marketing droids. Personally, I feel this is a shady trick. but IMO, this doesn't make them evil. Kids being a soft target is all the more reason to try and take a personal involvement in educating your kids, and not letting the ridiculously marketing-driven society do it for you. (not you personally, jacquesm..)
> I was responding to the way in which the "hard-working professional man" was painted as a victim.
Well, he is. He is pushed to buy something he neither wants nor needs but runs out of a will to resist. This happens every day at the doorsteps of tens of thousands of older people that get salespeople to visit them at their homes.
> Would you say uppity restaurants that focus more on the presentation of the food and the ambience than the bland quality of their fare are to be faulted for positioning themselves thusly?
I take it that they do not go door-to-door or have people standing in the street in front of their restaurant to push people in the doorway. If the choice is truly free then it's fine with me.
> If people see fit to pay for the snob value, more power to them..
We are in agreement on that.
> Personally, I feel this is a shady trick.
Personally, I feel it is criminal.
> but IMO, this doesn't make them evil.
And we disagree on that.
> Kids being a soft target is all the more reason to try and take a personal involvement in educating your kids, and not letting the ridiculously marketing-driven society do it for you.
As the proud father of a 15 year old son I could go on for days about the enormity of the assault on young impressionable minds. It goes so far that I feel some sympathy for those parents that eventually give up.
It was clearly meant tongue-in-cheek, or at least that is how I took it.
Of course nobody buys a piano because of a pushy salesman if their house can not accomodate it, but it is a nice analogy to describe some of the process that goes on when people buy stuff they don't need or have the ability to use.
Have a look at this for how far the 'salespeople' are willing to go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi63rXnuWbw