Clearly, she was extremely excited about staying overnight at a motelHave you noticed the way cars are being advertised at the moment? The car industry is giving the public what they think they want.
They have endless surveys and focus groups to back up the bland virtues that they are pushing in their adverts. They assume the car purchasing public are focused on fuel economy, safety and the car manufacturer's social commitment.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
OK, I admit there may be a few gray shoe and cardigan wearing school teacher types that simply wish to purchase an efficient metal box on wheels that will take them from A to B. Thankfully we haven't reached the stage yet, where the majority have lost the passion.
What the surveys don't tell car manufacturers is that most people purchase a car as a sex aid. What they REALLY want to know is: how big is the car's engine, how fast will it go and will it out-perform the neighbor's car. And most importantly, will purchasing the car increase their sex appeal?
GM once knew that sex sells and made cars that the public wanted and desired. Sometime many years ago they lost their way and started making cars that they thought the public should have and ended up with this:
Look at the young lady in this photo. She is trying hard to be impressed by this delusional bearded fool, but frankly this ain't going past the first date! No wonder GM are now bankrupt and being run by government advisers.
OK, so what has this got to do with the motel industry?
The point we are (laboriously) trying to make is that often the public do not communicate what they really want. We are too caught up in trying to be politically correct and giving the the answers that we think others want to hear.
Motels should not be temped to become just another soulless, bland utility that is simply a place for the public to rest their head. Staying at a motel should be an attractive proposition. Guests should be made to feel a level of excitement and anticipation before they check-in.
Do the public really care about a motel's environmental credentials and social responsibility commitment? Do they wish to feel awkward about whether to hang up their towel to reuse or to throw it in the bath to be replaced? Do guests see any benefits in using those power saving key cards? Do guests care if the bathroom amenities they pocket have been shipped from Carterton or China?
We say probably not. So what do guests REALLY want?
The answer is simple. They want to stay in an environment with no restrictions where they are relaxed and comfortable enough to have sex.
We are not suggesting that our Kiwi motels follow the perceived seediness of our American no-tell-motel cousins. However as an ideal, motel owners should ask themselves if they are offering the environment, service and the quality to enhance the chances of their guests to have sex.
Those moteliers that truly understand this concept, will ease their way through the recession and have many happy retuning guests.
