On a Sunday morning, as I was heading purposefully toward my boarding gate at the Mumbai airport, I spotted a stall that said – “free beer”. There was a fair amount of excitement in the air, and lots of people milling around the stall, scanning a QR code, and then heading off to destinations unknown, with a beer in hand.
It felt a bit early for me to start drinking so I walked on by. But curiosity got the better of me. I retraced my steps and asked them why they were giving free samples for a brand that was already well known. What was new? It turns out the beer was a nonalcoholic variant that they were introducing. This was all the information and invitation I needed to change my mind. A few minutes later, I popped open the can and took a sip of a crisp cold brew, that tasted absolutely like the real thing.
I was waiting for a colleague who was also arriving at the airport and by the time he arrived, I had downed most of my nonalcoholic beer. As I was chatting with him, the strangest thing happened. I was feeling a slight buzz and it felt like my cheeks were turning red. I joked about it with him and then forgot about it. About 30 minutes later, having boarded my flight, I googled “Can nonalcoholic beer make you feel drunk?” It appears I was not imagining things (or I was, but I am not alone).
We tell ourselves stories and those stories have an impact. It’s important to remember the power of a story and therefore to root it in reality. If the placebo effect of a cold can of nonalcoholic beer gave me a buzz, it’s important to remember the power stories have to touch lives. So as the label of most alcoholic beverages reminds us to “drink responsibly” we must tell stories responsibly. Here is me reminding myself and all my fellow communication and coaching professionals to help tell and frame stories responsibly.
Sampling was a great way of getting my attention, engagement, and involvement with the product and the brand. The power of “show and tell” to communicate was brought into focus. They call it phygital sampling because they collect my contact information in exchange for the sample and then keep engaging with me online. I have already been asked to give my reviews of the product and am will possibly continue to get lots of unwanted (or maybe useful – time will tell) follow-up communication. Unprompted I have posted a picture of the product on my social media handle and am now writing about this experience. For a small price, they have got a huge amount of my time and attention.
The ethics that govern our actions and the impact we have, as we touch the world through stories, we tell ourselves and others, is extremely high. It is our responsibility to know, understand, and be mindful of the power that stories have to impact each other, the company, the country, and the community at large.
On that note. Cheers to 2025 and the stories it brings forth. Kinder content that lifts us up, is kind of a good idea. May we all fly high.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
A trusted coaching and communications professional, Nikhil Dey is a certified life and leadership coach (International Coach Federation - ICF). Nurturing talent and helping clients achieve their goals is what makes him happy. He loves learning from students of communication, teaching courses and guest lecturing at various educational institutions. When he is not working you will find him on the tennis court or out for long walks with his family and four legged friends.
Previously he has held senior leadership positions at Weber Shandwick and Genesis BCW.
He can be reached on twitter @deydreaming
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