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Case study on how to sell snake oil


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Goop?  Successful?

 

Goop has raised $15-20 million in venture capital, which is a measure of success that is used these days rather than actual, uh, sales.  Meanwhile, Oil of Olay (or, as I like to call it, Oil of Old Lady) has annual sales of $2.8 billion.  And no homeopaths were harmed during the making of the Oil of Olay products.  Now, anyone wanna tell me how Oil of Olay "works"?

 

So yeah, woo is a rich comic vein.  But good old fashioned non-woo marketing works much, much better to move dollars from you to the seller.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature.

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hmmmm....

 

" Unique individuals "   

We are all unique individuals with differing tastes, who have different criteria when judging musical value. Therefore there are no “this is the best” or “ this fits all” products. As a manufacturer we can simply offer you good products, from sound choices, built on a foundation of knowledge and experience while offering a degree of personal flexibility and tuning.
From our full range of Groundiloquent Boxes to the Dionysios and now our new complete Zanadu line, we feel we have taken sound reproduction to a level that words cannot describe. The only way to understand how natural a system can sound with these products is to try them for yourself.

That which can be measured is not so important, and that which is important cannot be measured

There is quite a lot of truth in that sentence, even if it is not completely correct.
We at  Dreqmore trust more what we hear and experience than what the gauges tell us. If this sounds better than anything else, then it is. It is that simple, even if you perhaps cannot explain it scientifically with measurements

 

" The years have truly taught us that the more you assume you understand the more you NEED to explore and stay open minded to solutions that simply have yet to be realised. Its a lot of small details that make it.
We have come to the conclusion that if you THINK you have complete understanding, you have already lost your way ! There is always more to learn & understand !"

 

(names changed)
 

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Oh come on Chris....things could be worse so that makes it better?

 

The idea that audio snake oil isn't as dangerous as health snake oil is a weak, weak defence.  Yes, I recognize the context and that you aren't saying you defend snake oil. 

 

Of course there is the mental health issue.  Sure maybe someone's enjoyment is genuinely improved with disposable income spent harmlessly on audio snake oil.  Does that leave one more likely to be exploited for health based snake oil or anti-vaxxer snake oil due to habit of pattern of thought?

And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. 

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20 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

In defense of the snake oil in this industry

please, no out of context quotes in the future :~)

 

Ooops, did I just quote that wrong???

:D

And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. 

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19 minutes ago, esldude said:

Oh come on Chris....things could be worse so that makes it better?

 

The idea that audio snake oil isn't as dangerous as health snake oil is a weak, weak defence.  Yes, I recognize the context and that you aren't saying you defend snake oil. 

 

Of course there is the mental health issue.  Sure maybe someone's enjoyment is genuinely improved with disposable income spent harmlessly on audio snake oil.  Does that leave one more likely to be exploited for health based snake oil or anti-vaxxer snake oil due to habit of pattern of thought?

 

Do not worry Dennis, what we are already mentally ill will not get worse 9_9

 

Roch

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Dear Lord, now we're linking audiophiles to Gwyneth Paltrow products? If we're going there we need to accept that most of the consumer products we own in some way or other qualify as 'snake oil'. Maybe if the ever vigilant detractors were as impassioned about the every day items we ingest, wear, and watch as they are about the perils of cables, etc. we wouldn't be reading about 'Goop' on 'Ars Technica'.

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