Hi, hear me out
I’ve delayed this moment for a while, but I finally decided to buy them yesterday.
Once again, the old AirPods ran out of battery in the middle of a 40min dog walk. It was not the first time, but I resisted buying new ones. They still worked fine for 20min.
Deep down, I knew it was a question of time, days, weeks, or months at most. I would buy a new pair of earphones. Sometimes I feel that this resistance is futile. You just need to accept that you’re going to get them.
Then I would rationalize. Music is essential to me. Earphones are vital to me. Every day, twice a day, I walk the dog and listen to music or a podcast. Every day, twice a day. This is an essential good, a basic necessity. I need this.
I just needed to be in the right mood or sufficiently tired that I would not resist the temptation. The new pair was a click away. I could easily transform the rage of being cut off from my favorite album into a 1-click-rage-buy!
That day was yesterday. Today I got them delivered.
But that’s not what I wanted to tell you about
What was surprising was the letter that came in the package. It made me feel special. It made me feel part of a community of music lovers. People that have a special relationship with music. This sense of belonging, of place, was unexpected.
The purchase was already made, but this definitely influenced how happy I was with it, how I would first experience it, and my whole evaluation. They showed they cared about my first experience with the product. They cared about connecting with and welcoming me, to make me feel at home and part of a bigger community. From this moment on, I would not be rational.
This is the power of creating a connection and telling a story. The power of choosing and knowing your tribe and creating a sense of belonging. Because we’re humans and deep down, we want to belong, to be accepted.
Things are more than stuff when they are full of meaning. When they are a symbol, they connect us to something bigger.
I didn’t buy a pair of earphones. I offered myself a symbol that represents my passion for music.
Hugo,
It is a great honour to have inspired your blog post. Thank you 🙏
Enjoy the music!
Best wishes to you and your followers,
James Johnson-Flint
Cambridge Audio
May I suggest you write to them? It's so hard building businesses and bad feedback and difficulties always come, so it should be awesome for them to get your straight and honest feedback! Just saying...
PS: great, straight and honest review, always great to read!