(MSc) Sebinomics

Many of you know that I pass through Zurich station many times a week. Since Zurich station is a great place for companies to promote their products, promoters give away different samples on a regular basis. I wrote about Emmi’s Emminent drink and how their promoters did a great job in their remarkable outfits. Coca Cola Zero is another brand that inspired me to write about it, especially since they did kind of a bitter tasting promotion, in my opinion.

Last week, it was the turn of Carpe Diem and the release of its new drink. The company didn’t do anything funky or extravagant. Their promoters simply handed out a 5 deciliters PET bottle like the one that can be purchased in a store. No flyers, no questions, no email address you had to give them in return. Giving away for free the exact product one can buy in a store, gives potential customers the exact feeling of drinking half a liter of Kombucha they would actually buy. This provides the most authentic experience of drinking the Carpe Diem drink.

This was the very first time I tasted Kombucha. I quickly realized that I liked it and told myself that I’m going to have it again. If that is the feeling I get when drinking Kombucha, I’ll be satisfied. That 5 deciliters free PET bottle satisfied my thirst and gave a huge value to the Carpe Diem brand. Ever since I commute to Zurich, Coca Cola Zero has given me a few of samples, but never satisfied my thirst. In addition, the samples were either to small, I was distracted by flyers and games, or the promoters were not friendly.

In this case, I learned that not making up  a story when the product is the story is a strategy that works very well for me. Kombucha definitely tells a story, and by letting potential customers experience the story, you might find the right early adaptors that will tell your story in your name. Like me.