In this, "the gilded age" with the number of millionaires skyrocketing worldwide and others simply aspiring to the luxe life, anything "over the top" as an $8.4 million getaway in Los Cabos, a $10,000 martini and a $1,000 omelette, can't help but get press coverage. And it's usually seen as one of the "can't fail" public relations tactics. But in some instances, that isn't necessarily the case. According to the Asian Tribune, a newspaper published by the World Institute for
Asian Studies, an Asian hotel is offering a pudding priced at US $14,500 per serving. The secret to its high price tag is a specially designed 80 carat aquamarine, served in concert with gold leaf Italian cassata, Irish cream, a mango and pomegranate compote and sabayon. Sounds divine at first glance....
However, this hotel happens to be in Sri Lanka, a country still smarting from the aftermath of a tragic Tsunami and years of civil strife. Hence, why the Tribune dubbed it "an exploitatively exotic pudding", going on to write about its "callous decadence". Be forewarned. Marketers should never lose sight of the context and community. Sensitivity to one's community is critical.
