Do You Have a Wienie?

In a post at the Hear 2.0 blog, Mark Ramsey tells a story about the "Carousel of Progress" built by Walt Disney and his imagineers for the 1964 World's Fair. After giving a sneak preview to executives from General Electric—the attraction's sponsor—Disney decided something wasn't right. "It doesn't have a wienie!" he said." Come back in a couple weeks and I'll show you."

When the executives returned a week later, Disney had added an audio-animatronic dog, complete with a wagging tail, to each tableau.

"It was the 'wienie,'" writes Ramsey. "The 'finishing touch.' The delightful, magnetic bonus. Wienies are extra. Wienies are what you give the audience after they think they're already satisfied."

In product terms, Ramsey cites the glowing Apple logo on a MacBook Pro and the solid thud of a Mercedes-Benz's door as prime examples of a wienie. Both the computer and the automobile would work just as well without their wienies—in fact, customers wouldn't notice their absence had they never been a part of the product. But those special touches are what they often mention first when describing the brand.

Your Marketing Inspiration: If you don't have a wienie, it's time to get one. Just remember this:"The wienie isn't what you must do. It's what you want to do. Its delightful impact arises from the sheer joy of its creation and the desire of its creator to share that joy with others."

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