Friday, April 15, 2011

Free Tasting Phenomenon

Free taste, everyone!
Yesterday was a lazy day....yep very lazy indeed. I was so tired and didn't want to move. Slept and ate too. Even my posts were evidence of the laziness for they were mere reposts from another website, just want to share them because I found them very interesting. I made one not so lazy task yesterday, though, buy the groceries...hehehe

While at Save More at Emall, a lot of products had their promotional free tasting booths and I tasted them all, except for the milk which booth was already closed. San Marino paella tasted great. It is best for camping or other long distance trips because it already has rice on it. I have also tried their own made tonkatsu, I wondered why they looked like burger patties stripped into pieces, nevertheless they tasted good-- a perfect blend of sweetness, sourness and saltiness. I also tried the newly endorsed egg with mayo recipe of Lady's Choice. I cannot explain it, to be blunt, I didn't like it. It goes well with bread, something like a sandwich but I think it will not suit the discriminating taste of Filipinos when the egg is paired with rice. Nothing beats the natural salt flavor on our daily omelet.

Why do people swarm on free tasting booths?, I wondered. I guess this is a universal social response to the invitation and when people see or hear the notice which says its for free, they then rush in line to avail of it. On the social aspect, it is for the satisfaction of one's curiosity. Usually these promotions are intended for these newly introduced products' acquaintance with the market. Since it is new, people get curious of what they are, how they look like, how they taste, etc. They really are not lining up to buy or patronize the product afterwards. They are there to get answers to their questions. On the economic side, this can be explained by the decreasing purchasing power of our currency, so that whenever we hear the word "free" our ears hear the bell and rush to avail of whatever it is. This is just maximizing the opportunity of eating and tasting an expensive or new product without any cost. Sounds practical, right? Moreover, if we look at the overall picture including the political side, people goes to everything that's free because it is an escape to the "never free society". Every working citizen, even the non-working are taxed and charged for everything they do--buy, eat, services availed, etc.because the State needs the finances to support its own structure and implement its goals. The so called lifeblood doctrine. That is the reason why, whenever there are free products offered people get excited for these are rare chances of getting something without any charge or fee at all.

Even with the small portion of the product being given free, people get the satisfaction because they know that they can always go back in line and avail of it one more or two more times, as long as the supplies will last, free of charge. This is a realization which even I have only thought of. hehehe.

8:30 am
04/15/2011
Adsum

2 comments:

bo said...

first, i do line up to avail of such "free" items. you are right of the reasons cited. second, is it free at all? 3rd, why blogged of food when i am now decreasing my food consumption? hahaha

Unknown said...

haha...i have intentionally omitted some details in the blog but since you have opened the topic up, might as well tell something more. hahaha.... First, for the comment, happy to share the same interest in lining up to avail of freebies, even if sometimes we line up for something we do not even know what for....thanks for agreeing with the reasons, I hope my economic reason is justified according to the laws of econ...hehehe.... I believe it is free of charge for the "free tasters" but I do not really know about the other mechanisms that they (companies) adopt to recover products given. Finally, I felt guilty for availing the "free tastes" for I am also cutting on food intake. hehehe....however, I cannot afford to deprive myself of the chance to taste it and to experience this common yet neglected social phenomenon...hehehe... and most of all, I want the readers to feel what I felt (less the guilt)..hahaha