Thursday, February 18, 2016

The Marketing Beard

If you walk down one of the many busy thoroughfares of East London, you will come across examples of the Marketing Beard. You will most likely find it worn by a burly fellow behind an artisan coffee stall, possibly a mobile one, and he will usually be wearing an apron.
Five years ago, he didn't have a beard; not because he was young, but because beards were just emerging as de-rigeur facewear for East London checky-shirt technology chaps on bicycles.
It has become a useful marketing strategy to wear a beard in order to mimic the desired clientele who stroll past on a Sunday, encouraging them to think: 'Look! Coffee! Served by a Person Just Like ME!'. They can't wait to interact; teeth smile out of mirroring beardy faces in knowing recognition and hirsute bonhomie as one East London hand presents money to the other, which passes him a steaming cup of exotic liquid.
Those at the absolute cutting edge, however, have been seeking out truly disgusting instant coffee served by a lady over the age of 70 in a flowery apron, helped by a little old chap in a bobbly acrylic cardy and a flat cap. You read it here first- don't get left behind!

2 comments:

Wilky of St Albans said...

the beardy lumberjack look is such a cliche that I do wonder why these hipsters sport it. Can they all be individuals? As for the coffee, it has long been my dream to open a coffee shop selling instant coffee in cracked mugs at a sensible price. And individual Bourbon Biscuits. It would be mandatory to talk to strangers about the weather. It would also have a small stage where after school sixth-formers could come and perform really intense heart felt crap poetry, and then get derided by their chums. Just a dream

Helen McCookerybook said...

I've always said you should be a promoter, Wilky. Now you have a plan!