A marketing lesson from Edinburgh Fringe
I’m sat on a picnic bench, craft IPA in hand.
A bow-tie and braces wearing promo guy (Hendrik’s, natch) has just slipped and spilled a vat of gin on the astroturf floor of this vast beer garden.
Avoiding the spillage and giggling, a man in Dalmatian ears crosses paths with a military dictator.

Yes, it’s Saturday afternoon at the Edinburgh Fringe; the weather can’t make up its mind, and neither can we.
We have two hours until our next show, and, feeling guilty about watching so much comedy, we feel we ought to watch some theatre. Our picnic bench is piled high with impenetrable brochures, indistinguishable fliers and puddles of beery rain.
We’re sitting ducks.
A lady in her twenties approaches us and asks if we’d like to see a show. Yes, we reply, that’s exactly what we want. Concisely and openly she explains the concept of the play, gives us credentials (awards, reviews, reputation), and hands us a free badge. We debate whether god is a woman (it’s a theme in her show…).
“It’s on in half an hour, so you’ve just got time.” She smiles and moves on to the next table.
We were in a position and mind-frame to purchase. Bombarded with noise, we couldn’t cut-through to find a good option; we had information overload.
But a confident, friendly person explained the benefits of their product in plain English, using emotion, rational and appropriate information.
We were sold. Four stars.
