The importance of place and timing on the perception of value …

Are you casting your pearls in front of the proverbial "swine"?

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. A plain-looking man was playing violin. His performance lasted about 45 minutes.

During that time, approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After 3 minutes :  a middle- aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later: the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat, and without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

The man finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

Why was this event of any significance?

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate music pieces ever written, Partita No. 2 in D Minor by Bach, with a Stradivari violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Three days before he appeared at the Metro station, Bell had filled the house at Boston’s Symphony Hall, where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. However, this experiment is also a perfect marketing case study.

It is a great thought to ponder upon before you create your next promotion, decide on your give-away or approve your next marketing campaign. Have you timed your message to perfection? Is your message presented to the receptive audience? Is the place appropriate to present message? Or you are about to cast your pearls before proverbial “swine”?