customer entertainment

Reference Post 2

In the first chapter of Kotler and Armstrong's Principles of Marketing, they say:
"To attract and keep customers, a company must constantly seek ways to deliver superior customer value and satisfaction." (Kotler and Armstrong p17)
After reading a few recent posts I think that value and satisfaction are being supplemented by what I will call "customer entertainment." While value and satisfaction have to do with what the company actually sells to the customer, the entertainment is something that really only links to the brand. Entertaining people through advertising and through shows like this helps make a ho-hum company seem more alive and friendly. This sort of co-branding is focused on getting the company's name aligned with good times and smiling faces. (p295)
First of all, I found Clare's recent post about Amazon very interesting. This will certainly be a great show for the employees that are able to go and a treat for the customers who have enough bandwidth to watch (i.e. their target audience). Amazon is making itself known as a provider of entertainment. For someone who actually does sell books, music, and movies, this is not really very far from just being advertising. However for Chase bank, who is also sponsoring the event, this is concert is mostly about having their name associated with fun and exciting events.
My thoughts on this subject became a less positive when I read more on this blog about the entertainment at the Wal-mart annual shareholders' meeting. Having recently been to my own company's shareholders' meeting, I was a little shocked to find out how they handled this event. Ours was a much smaller event, but it was conducted very formally in parliamentary fashion and basically stuck to business. At the Wal-mart meeting on the other hand, "Jessica Simpson sang the National Anthem, while Jon Bon Jovi performed with the help of Lorenza Ponce on violin, Jeff Kazee on keyboards and Bobby Bandiera on guitar. Bon Jovi sang acoustic versions of the band's standards, 'Livin' on a Prayer' and 'It's My Life,' as well as The Beatles' classic 'Help.'" (more here)
In Wal-mart's case, this spectacle has been criticized as being a designed distraction from the issues. While many important motions came to the floor about women's and minority rights as well as disclosure of stock options practices (all of which were soundly defeated), the most publicized details were about the performances. It is a shame to think that Wal-mart spent so much money getting Bon Jovi and the others when there are so many employees making minimum wage. The irony is that since Wal-mart is responsible for nearly a third of Bon Jovi's record sales it would be impossible for him to refuse to play.