What happens when you take a £3m violin, a virtuoso violinist and a platform for them to perform?
Well, the answer is – it all depends. If the platform is the mass transport system of Washington DC or the Concert Hall with tickets going at $100 and more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myq8upzJDJc
At least two lessons to reflect on here:
The first is pretty prosaic and pertains to that classic of the 4 Ps of Marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. You have to get all four right. A brilliant product is nowhere near enough.
The second is more metaphysical and probably best captured by Weingarten:
“If we can’t take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that — then what else are we missing?”