By government or by self, adding perceived value
What do French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Oliveto Restaurant in Oakland, California have in common?
Food
According to the March 20-21 Wall Street Journal: the Club de la Table Francaise, which includes 280 food-loving members of France’s Parliament, wildly supported “an initiative Mr. Sarkozy launched two years ago to gain United Nations recognition for French cuisine as an intangible cultural asset.”
Why?
“…to protect French gastronomy.”
Or, more accurately:
“Club members say French cuisine is under threat. Grocery stores are increasingly importing cheaper cheese and meats, threatening local producers.” – from France Offers a Menu for Its National Identity, Wall Street Journal, March 20 – 21, 2010
OK, so seeking to sanctify and preserve a land’s culinary history through regulation does seem to be a bit Orwellian. But, on second thought, having France’s culinary and gastronomic history / culture protected by UNESCO not only creates a barrier to trade and imports, it also creates an easy way to increase consumer’s perception of the value of those products.
Looking down a completely different path, why would a restaurant in Oakland, California undertake an effort to use web video, blogs and other social media to inform clients where their ingredients come from and why or what makes them special? On a societal level:
“In this new journal of stories, movies, cooking information and news we hope to give you an insider’s look at the workings of our restaurant community, of Oliveto, as a part of a larger community in which we live. We also think that we are entering a time when people want to actually know where their food comes from not just for wholesomeness and nutrition or for assigning it worth, but for the joy and satisfaction that can come of it—a fuller more connected life.” Oliveto Community
But, on a business level, the telling of the story behind the food – how and where it is from, the people who make it, and why or what makes it special – in a way that is simple and approachable way allows clients to better understand and appreciate the food while also fostering familiarity with those people and places.
How important is familiarity?
According to Robert Cialdini in Influence Science and Practice:
“Few of us would be surprised to learn that, as a rule, we prefer to say yes to the requests of the people we know and like. What might be startling to note, however, is that this simple rule is used in hundreds of ways by total strangers to get us to comply with their requests.” p.144
I am not trying to imply this is some sort of Machiavellian plan or the purpose of the Oliveto Community website is purely to create profit. I am saying this is really a great example of using social media to reach out, engage, build relationships with people. A serendipitous result of this effort will be an increase in the perceived value of Oliveto’s goods and services by those clients
Interestingly, it is the Oliveto style approach and not the Sarkozy approach that creates longer lasting and sustainable added value to a product. A top down government lead approach such as Sarkozy’s may appear to addressing a problem and appease voters at first, the results are fleeting and can not persist without continued and significant government support.
So, do you think an Oliveto type approach is applicable to your needs? Why or why not?
