one interesting way of selling is - you do the work for free but hold on to the results until the customer has paid you. like you're kidnapping their work and seeking a "ransom"
I think that the photography example of kidnap marketing is sui generis. Other examples have some overlap, but none shares all its characteristics.
Many places give you samples. For example, you may get tasting samples at a sweet shop. But these are usually items prepared in bulk. Others may show you previews but not the whole thing. I can't think of any case where they prepare something for you and then give you the option of buying or not. Other thing about photography is that you are under genuine time pressure to buy the thing. You are at an amusement park or something and if you don't buy it now, you won't get that particular item at any price. In other products, they do try to simulate time pressure by doing limited period dicounts etc. but the product will be available later also if at a higher price, so it's not the same.
Photography is one of the most common examples... remember your visit to the amusement park, a cruise and what not. Everywhere they do this and the magic of the moment makes you pay a price that you would not have otherwise.
I was trying to think of any other category where this is common. Toy sellers do a bit of this by giving your kids the toy to play/experience. Not exactly the same, but in same zone.
Real Kidnap marketing used to happen in Old Chennai's shopping street platforms where they would force you to buy once you have taken the product in your hand to examine it.
Their rule is if you take it in hand, you have to buy it !
Or you can call it goonda marketing or Bully Marketing !
Like others have already pointed out before me, amusement parks mastered this model. The take your pictures coming out of a thrilling ride and offer to sell them to you.
> The downside, of course, was wasted effort
In case of amusement parks, even this factor does not apply.
Was a disneyland HK in June this year. Got the feeling that nobody monetizes better than Disney. Once you are inside the gates (way more literally a "kidnapping"), everything is super attractive, in your face and nobody is even pretending that there is any connection between cost and price :) Usually a special occasion for the most obvious two cohorts we saw - parents with young kids or college couples - so higher willingness to spend / show off.
Pictures taken on most rides available later as pictures, t-shirts, mugs - basically the same tactic that you covered in this blog.
If you give a complex problem to say, wolfram alpha it shows the solution. But you have to buy Wolfram Alpha Pro for step by step solution.
Teasing readers with a tantalizing taste, many magazines/journals dangle the first para of an interesting article, only to yank it away when you click on "read more........" and you hit the paywall. :(
Have seen this for photos, taken during joy rides in amusement parks. Upon ride completion, one can see those photos, select and pay. As it is difficult to get photos taken through other means, these moments are few, and people are generally in a spending mode, kinda works.
I think that the photography example of kidnap marketing is sui generis. Other examples have some overlap, but none shares all its characteristics.
Many places give you samples. For example, you may get tasting samples at a sweet shop. But these are usually items prepared in bulk. Others may show you previews but not the whole thing. I can't think of any case where they prepare something for you and then give you the option of buying or not. Other thing about photography is that you are under genuine time pressure to buy the thing. You are at an amusement park or something and if you don't buy it now, you won't get that particular item at any price. In other products, they do try to simulate time pressure by doing limited period dicounts etc. but the product will be available later also if at a higher price, so it's not the same.
This is fairly common in any service provider.
I always imagined this is done as collections, post service delivery, are very difficult in India.
Photography is one of the most common examples... remember your visit to the amusement park, a cruise and what not. Everywhere they do this and the magic of the moment makes you pay a price that you would not have otherwise.
I was trying to think of any other category where this is common. Toy sellers do a bit of this by giving your kids the toy to play/experience. Not exactly the same, but in same zone.
What other category you think this works?
Real Kidnap marketing used to happen in Old Chennai's shopping street platforms where they would force you to buy once you have taken the product in your hand to examine it.
Their rule is if you take it in hand, you have to buy it !
Or you can call it goonda marketing or Bully Marketing !
You could have put half the blogpost behind a paywall and achieved the same results, lol
Like others have already pointed out before me, amusement parks mastered this model. The take your pictures coming out of a thrilling ride and offer to sell them to you.
> The downside, of course, was wasted effort
In case of amusement parks, even this factor does not apply.
Was a disneyland HK in June this year. Got the feeling that nobody monetizes better than Disney. Once you are inside the gates (way more literally a "kidnapping"), everything is super attractive, in your face and nobody is even pretending that there is any connection between cost and price :) Usually a special occasion for the most obvious two cohorts we saw - parents with young kids or college couples - so higher willingness to spend / show off.
Pictures taken on most rides available later as pictures, t-shirts, mugs - basically the same tactic that you covered in this blog.
Many websites have this feature
If you give a complex problem to say, wolfram alpha it shows the solution. But you have to buy Wolfram Alpha Pro for step by step solution.
Teasing readers with a tantalizing taste, many magazines/journals dangle the first para of an interesting article, only to yank it away when you click on "read more........" and you hit the paywall. :(
Have seen this for photos, taken during joy rides in amusement parks. Upon ride completion, one can see those photos, select and pay. As it is difficult to get photos taken through other means, these moments are few, and people are generally in a spending mode, kinda works.