Andrew Taylor on the Business of Arts & Culture
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Construct your own marketing metaphor
Posted: October 20, 2005
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Researchers have now concluded, through a recent study, that candy is more tempting when you can see it and it's within reach. Shocking but true.
According to the AP report on the study, the researchers ''gave 40 university secretaries 30 chocolate kisses in either a clear or an opaque candy jar placed on their desks or 6 feet away. The dish was refilled each night, and researchers counted how many candies were eaten over the next four weeks.'' The conclusion?
Secretaries ate an average of 7.7 kisses each day when the candies were in clear containers on their desks; 4.6 when in opaque jars on the desk; 5.6 when in clear jars 6 feet away; and 3.1 when in opaque jars 6 feet away.
There's probably some profound metaphor for marketing the arts in these results. I'll leave that to you. I just keep picturing grad students in lab coats -- who must have something better to do -- tormenting university secretaries with chocolate kisses, candy jars, and tape measures. Isn't research a wonderful thing?