Today’s top story here in Seattle is about scantily clad baristas serving your latte with more than just whip cream on top. The ethics of using sex to sell are debatable but the results are not. The NYTimes reported on this trend in the real estate industry last July. Here’s the link but the site will ask you to register for free with an email address.
You can look at this story from many perspectives which are keeping our local talk radio show hosts busy. My perspective is as follows. First, to those who critique the business owners for using sex to sell, business owners have been doing this for decades. Why else do title and escrow companies continue to put hottie women in the field with no knowledge of title and escrow? Second, leave the lingerie dressed women there for at least a few more days, so I can drive through with my two daughters and show them the type of job they can look forward to if they decide to skip college. Third, I’m hoping another espresso business owner decides to go after the opposite market. Staff it with Ashton or Brad Pitt look-a-like, shirtless, hotties and I will bet that you’ll triple your profits….from both women AND men customers. If the final product is bad, coffee addicted folks here will not give these businesses more than a few weeks of fleeting fame.
In the spirit of satire, let’s see how this concept plays out in our industry. The following youtube videos are rated PG13. Enjoy.