Marketing: A Social Experiment
August 12, 2009 | Filed under Family & Friends, Relationships/Men
Dear Marketing Students,
Let this be a lesson to you. First you build up the tension over a series of weeks, months, even years. Consistently mention your product, event, or situation – not every day, but often enough that it’s always in the back of people’s minds when they think of you.
When you judge the time to be right, make one single momentous declaration. A single word, phrase, sentence, ten-second video short, whatever. Give no further details. Watch the rumour-mongering and suspense take place as people demand to know more.
Congratulations, you’ve succeeded in selling your product/event/situation.
Comments have been down recently, so in a social experiment of sorts, I decided to post a simple (yet intriguing and suspenseful!) one-liner entry about a fairly momentous occasion that had been built up over a couple of months. Unsurprisingly, comments shot right up not five minutes after it was posted. Instant marketing win – I’m thinking that I have a natural talent for marketing and should have chosen that as a career.
Anyway…so two nights ago, I told my mother that Dylan was my boyfriend. I engineered a situation where we were alone together without my father about, and after making her promise not to say a word to my father, basically said “You know the guy who was over two nights ago? He’s my boyfriend”.
An hour of lecturing and stringent questioning later, my mother was actually rather calm and collected. What she wants for me is a man who will prove to be a good investment in the long-term. She wanted to know if Dylan was ambitious, clever, with potential. She wanted to know what he was studying, how we met, how long we’d been together. She wanted to know his family background, what his parents did, and why I like him. She wants a man who will love me, take care of me, provide for me and our potential family, and not be a slacker.
She might also want a daughter who’s more pure, with a greater sense of the social constructs of decency, and who doesn’t sleep with a boy until they’re married (yeah, she figured out I’m not a virgin anymore), but it’s too late for me to do anything about that particular point. She also (surprisingly, I have to admit) wants a daughter who won’t lose her sense of self in a relationship – she stressed that it was important that I remain myself and not lose my head over him. She wants me to remain focused on my work, studies, finances, family duties, etc. – to not neglect other aspects of my life for him, which is the best advice she has ever given me.
In any case, she did tell me to be smart about the way I break the news to my father:
- to stop staying the night at Dylan’s house (so my father doesn’t put two and two together and realise I’m having sex)
- to wait till he’s in a good mood (though my mother admitted that those are rare and impossible to predict)
- to announce it properly as though I’m asking his permission to date rather than simply telling him I’m dating
- to not announce it two days before they leave on a three-week holiday as I originally planned (so he won’t think that Dylan would be staying with me in our house)
So with my mother somewhat reconciled to the idea, I guess my father is the next hurdle.
15 Responses to Marketing: A Social Experiment
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Meh. I just stuck with dating my boyfriend behind my father’s back. It’s quite fun. My mother, on the other hand, knows.
Do you really have to tell you father?
Kristine on August 12, 2009 #
AMANDA, you’re ALIVE!
Actually, your mom sounds just like my mother. Exactly like her. Those are the things she brings up when we talk about boys. Well, okay, maybe she brings up Catholicism too but other than that, she asks the same questions and in the end, she’s clearly only asking because she’s looking out for what’s best for me.
And like you, when it comes to boys, my dad is the bigger hurdle. Right now? My mom is my sister’s boyfriend’s biggest cheerleader. But my dad is so embarrassingly rude to him…
Felisa on August 12, 2009 #
I’m glad your mom took it the way she did. Seems like she’s really trying to have what’s best for you and is on your side when you tell your dad. If either of my parents had any notion of sex before marriage, I’d probably be disowned – I’m dead serious. I could win the Noble Prize and still not be able to make up for it.
Good luck on telling your dad! You know that you’ve gotten one person down, so just one more! Go Go Amanda :)
marilyn on August 12, 2009 #
It might be a better test of your marketing skills if you were actually trying to sell something, not collect comments. You know, like, “Today I told my mother that Dylan is my boyfriend… now donate $10 to Amanda’s Buying A Jackhammer To Escape Life Imprisonment In Her Bedroom Fund!” It’s a lot less costly to leave a comment than spend money! On the other hand, don’t get me wrong; it’s not like I’m advocating such money-grabbing stunts…
Seriously (as opposed to the above), I’m glad your mother took the news relatively well. And that advice about how not to break the news to your father will have to be helpful, right?
Jessica on August 12, 2009 #
Aaarrgh! I think it was a pretty good reaction on your mothers part. Good luck with the next step!
Melinda on August 12, 2009 #
Well, I’m glad your mother took it well and is even helping you on breaking the news to your father! Hurrah!
Tara on August 12, 2009 #
When I told my dad I was moving out I was sick (mentally) the week before, worried. After the initial freaking out he calmed down and asked me tons of questions to make sure I was ready. Granted, for weeks after he tried to convince me not to and only recently did he realize I’m not crashing and burning… But I guess they do generally calm down and CARE once it sinks in. Remember: confidence and hold strong. Don’t get into an arguing match, but don’t back down.
Skye on August 12, 2009 #
O.M.G. Well, well, ain’t that about time. So whenabouts are you planning to tell your father? I mean, when is their trip away – thus that’s kind of your deadline to find a time when he’s in a good mood? ><
Amanda on August 12, 2009 #
Oh wow, I fell right into your marketing trap, you sneaky thing!
Well, anyway, I’m rather glad to hear that your mother took it well, and I hope your father takes it better than you expect (although, number three on your list seems as though it could backfire…)
Adam on August 13, 2009 #
Hehe. I knew you’d be fine. I mean, your mom helped raise you so I knew she wouldn’t do anything drastic to cause you harm – she loves you. Best of luck with letting your dad know as well.
Erin on August 13, 2009 #
You are too funny, Amanda.
It sounds like it went rather well. Your mother sounds like she is very wise. I am glad that you seem to be handling it maturely, as well, taking your mother’s advice on how to handle breaking the news to your father. Good luck.
Caity on August 13, 2009 #
Glad to hear that it turned out well and hmm that was an unexpected thing~ I agree that you are quite that marketing guru~
I think if my dad was still around, I’d be in a similar situation. It seems your mum has adjusted to/accepted the western culture. =)
Maggie on August 13, 2009 #
Good to hear your mom took it well. :D Good luck with telling your dad though! >_<
Noellium on August 13, 2009 #
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Wait. This is a good thing right? I mean, she took it rather well. She didn’t start yelling that you shouldn’t see him anymore. So yuy!
Kathleen on August 14, 2009 #