Products and services don’t have to have a bland artificial flavor, they could one day become the ‘Real McCoy’.
One of the biggest phenomena in modern science and the food technology industry is artificial flavorings. Artificial flavor is an ingredient that is synthesized to create a sensory impression that mimics the natural product that might not be available.
The experience of an artificial product or service has the flavor or characteristic of the original goods or services that we cannot easily have. Therefore, we can only imagine what the product or service would feel like or do for us if we had exactly what it is. Often the product we want is expensive or out of reach, while on the other hand the substitute is affordable or at least less expensive.
This concept, when we think about it, is very scary and leads us to the next concern: What are we missing! What happens is that we escape from the true realities of life when we use substitutes instead of genuine products and miss out on the benefits that would come from that original ingredient in the mix.
Let’s take ginger as an example: there are multiple health and other benefits of using the plant, namely cancer prevention, assisting in the body’s metabolism, and relieving motion sickness. However, when you buy a soda that is artificially flavored with ginger, you are only satisfying the taste buds but not reaping the benefits that can be derived from the authentic taste.
When you put this in context with the level of service some companies offer, you’ll see how the true experiences have only been short-lived. An example of this is the elaborate physical structure, the wide range of basic products and the attractive front-line staff of some companies in our corporate partnership. These are replicas of modern commercial models in Europe, the US and other developed countries in the world.
Let’s call a spade a spade though: are we experimenting with artificial flavorings from these companies? Well, often we come across unprofessional and poor customer service from some staff, who doesn’t fit the profile of the company.
We are all gearing up and proposing to be ready for the world’s first standard by 2030. This means we have to do everything we can to achieve quality ratings by 2020. The question is asked like your favorite TV sitcom: “Are we there yet?”
There’s nothing wrong with being creative and resourceful if we don’t have the right ingredient for the final product, but one thing to always keep in mind: There will be marginal profits or wear and tear on our frustrated taste buds.
Therefore, as marketers we must listen to the market, know what our consumers need instead of assuming their wishes and respond to changes in our market trends. We must, “walk the walk and talk the talk.” What is most important, we must put QUALITY SERVICE at the forefront of our business, since it is the source of our profitability.
Products and services don’t have to have some bland artificial flavor, they MAY one day become the ‘Real McCoy’.
