Tens of thousands of Americans gathered today in Washington D.C. They gathered for Glenn Beck’s, “Restoring Honor” march. Glenn Beck is a phenomenally talented media personality. He is one of the best sellers of soap the world has seen.
Glenn Beck has employees that capture nearly everything that leaves his mouth. Any given comment is a potential product. He is a machine. He is a pro. The question is: What is his profession? He is a professional entertainer. He has an agenda. The agenda is to generate content to sell to consumers to make money.
Mr. Beck makes money selling and delivering content. He does rather well – ~$32 Million in 2009. Good for him! He found a market. Created a product for the market. And is selling that product for a generous profit.
What are his customer’s really buying?
The presumptive point of buying or consuming a product is to add value to our life. Glenn Beck is selling entertainment. Many of his customers are buying journalism. He’s selling one thing, his customers think they’re getting something different. These two things add different value. This is where we miss the point. We buy one thing thinking we’re getting another. We don’t get the benefits we thought we would. Sometimes what we’re being sold isn’t what we’re buying. This is true with soap, beer, political platforms, clothing, cars or this year’s strategic plan at work.
Ask yourself what value you want a product to provide. Compare it to the benefits that product you’re consuming really provides. Don’t assume! The product they’re selling may not be the product you’re buying. Don’t find yourself wearing a sequined thong when you needed a jockstrap with a cup.
