THE NEW ‘CHOCOLATE ON A PILLOW’

IN SEARCH OF THE NEXT ‘WOW EFFECT’

The story goes that the famous actor from the 1950s, Cary Grant, met his mistress in a nice hotel. To make the atmosphere more romantic and seductive, Grant put a trail of chocolates across the hotel room 'Hansel & Gretel’ style. The trial ended on the bed with the last chocolate on the pillow. This gesture was so romantic and unique that the hotel General Manager decided he wanted every guest to feel that way in his hotel. Soon after, the ‘chocolate on a pillow’ become 'a thing' and standard practice in many premier hotels. A practice that has, over the years, become a standard that is to be expected. Then came the ‘welcome platter’ and the 'welcome letter’. Now there is a need for the next new ‘wow effect’. What if we combine the welcome platter, the welcome letter with an edible gift?! What to use, what edible snack would be new and unexpected? Chocolate maybe? Everybody loves chocolate. Yes, but to be excited there must be an element of a surprise. Let’s go 100% opposite of sweet. Let’s try something savoury. Let’s go with peanuts! Or chilli peanuts, for the more high-roller types. Imagine your guests walking into the room where is a welcome platter with a bottle of a non/alcoholic drink with a branded individual snack bottle bag filled with peanuts. But it’s not just a bag of peanuts. It’s a welcome letter, it’s a communication platform, it’s an added value tool, it’s a gift that will make your guest smile and perceive as a kind and warm gesture. It’s the NEW WOW EFFECT. You may ask why savoury? What is so interesting about peanuts? To know more about this topic, read the article ‘Making of A Butterfly’. There is one more industry secret story about why savoury… about this topic, more in the articles to come. Until then, let’s find a way to be unique, unexpected, and more exciting because that is the secret to a great life. p.s. There are people known to be allergic to peanuts. There is no arguing that. There are people also allergic to milk, wheat, nuts, cocoa, and many other components that make a beautiful thing called chocolate. It is futile to debate about people’s allergies, food intolerances and specific food preferences because today there are so many. A gift is a gift and is to be taken as such. Whether somebody cannot eat a gift, doesn’t minimize the kind and warm feeling of a gift and its intent. Be a groundbreaker and make your guests feel the way guests felt with Cary Grant’s move over 70 years ago.

p.s. There are people know to be allergic to peanuts. There is no arguing that. There are people also allergic to milk, wheat, nuts, cocoa and many other components that make a beautiful thing called chocolate. It’s futile to debate about people’s allergies, food intolerances and specific food preferences because today there are so many. Gift is a gift and is to be taken as such. Whether somebody cannot eat a gift, that doesn’t minimize the kind and warm feeling of a gift and it’s intent. Do be a groundbreaker and make your guests feel the way guest felt with the Cary Grant’s move over 70 years ago.