When I was in my early twenties, "The Real World" was having an open casting call for "Real World Miami" in Boston (where I was living at the time). I decided I would go and "cover" this event and pitch the story to the Boston Phoenix as young people looking for way to drop out of real world on "Real World." So of course to make the story (which never got published) as authentic as possible, I auditioned. But only after waiting in line for over five hours. So what happens when you take a group of complete strangers and put them in line for hours together? They get real (stoned). Yes. Some of the "waiters" got stoned before the audition and none of them became cast members.

Marketers have discovered a different value to be found in long waits: dedication. The Akron Beacon Journal (reg. required) published a story about a local Chick-fil-A promotion where lots of young people waited in line for hours in the cold rain for a year's worth of free combo meals. The article goes on to talk about how building the hype is a key component of event marketing (there are companies that specialize in thinking about how to get you to wait in line for something). It's what happens in line that's more interesting -- complete strangers begin to bond. Ellen C. Garbarino, an assistant professor of marketing at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management calls it "the one-night stand of social exchange." There's also the "cool factor" -- we braved the elements, where were you?

Posted by anastasia