Make Marketing History

The views of a marketing deviant.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Never Fake It.


According to this article, the requirement for Japanese staff to maintain a permanent fake smile may be building up real emotional problems when they leave work.

Real emotions, Makoto Natsume says, are being dangerously suppressed by the “smile masks” that women wear all day at work and the psychological effects he sees among patients are devastating. Depression, mental illness and other disorders are spreading fast, he cautions, and smile-mask syndrome could soon become a serious national health issue.

That seems something of an allegory for marketing to me. Firstly aim to create a working environment in which the smiles are genuine and a product/service that elicits the same response and, secondly, never fake it. People always know.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have something to add to this too. Always LOOK at your customers.

And serve them STANDING UP.

These things should be taught at every business school - not just saved for the really good ones.

9:09 AM, February 12, 2008  
Blogger kaylen said...

i think you'd be surprised how many people can't tell a fake smile from a real one.

6:31 PM, February 12, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Is that you in the photo, John ?

12:51 AM, February 13, 2008  
Blogger RB said...

:0)

My cheeks ache. 'nuff said!

5:20 AM, February 13, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

totally true i used to work in japan and all the fake smiling really sucked...and then Nova went bankrupt and I could smile for real

8:44 AM, February 14, 2008  

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