Live Every Second Like You Mean It

I just got a welcome email from Tag Heuer 24, a club dedicated to provide the latest information and held special events for Tag owners. What strikes me the most was the last sentence on the email: live every second like you mean it.

In an attempt to give personalized attention to their customers, many brands have set up clubs and membership programs. From frequent flyers programs which offer many advantage and benefit for their dedicated members – anything from priority check-in, seat upgrade, to free flight – to owner clubs like what Tag Heuer and Mercedes Benz have, each one of this so-called society bears the image of exclusiveness. I’d like to compare the existence of these branded societies with fraternities and sororities in college. Secret society or fraternity and sorority require its candidates to undergo certain process, like pledging, before having the privilege of being called members. This society has its own code of conduct, and above all, a series of activities exclusively available to its members. We all wore our society T-shirts or sweatshirts in college to show everyone that we belonged to the in-crowd.

The paradigm of fraternity and sorority is now being adopted by the consumer industry to bridge a closer relationship to its customers, by sending a subliminal message that: “if you are our brand consumer, you belong to our exclusive society.” Mercedes Benz Club is one of a few clubs with worldwide membership programs and routine activities, from gathering to social activities like blood drive or donations to refugee camps. This society does not only represent the pride of being a Benz owner, but also somehow manages to become a communication forum among its members, exchanging ideas on automotive matters, showing concerns through organized social events, and above all, a global friendship based on a simple common interest: a Benz automobile. I went to one gathering with a friend of mine whose passion for this German car is probably more than his passion for work, and it’s really fascinating to see them talk about cars one minute and then organize this huge fundraiser event another minute.

While Benz is bringing its customers closer through many activities, Tag Heuer is dedicated to promote a spirited society of Tag owners, with a determination to live life to the fullest. As stated in its tag line, Tag Heuer is encouraging its society to continuously enrich their life with as many experience as they can. With the same principle that Tag brings to F1 racing, where even a nanosecond can make a huge difference, Tag Heuer 24 is sending a very strong message to its members: “You are one of a kind, just like the watch that you’re wearing, so live every second like you mean it.”

In a society where we are often being judged by what kind of crowds we belong to, the consumer industry has responded sharply by maintaining the so-called society of customers, the chosen ones if I might add, and by offering a personalized treatment to each one of its members. The reason behind this phenomenon is very obvious: the society of existing customers is a lucrative market, pampering them literally means encouraging them to keep buying the same brand, and even triggering a very effective word-of-mouth advertising: “I love the way Tag is treating me, you should really buy this watch to be a part of us.”

As customers, should we respond negatively to this new form of advertising, or should we embrace it with open arms? Well, if we have spent hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars on that one brand, it’s only fair that we’re given a royal treatment, if you asked me.

Why Women Should Golf?

How were you introduced to golf?  Did your parents drag you to the country club on the weekends when you were a child?  Did a friend take you to the driving range to hit a few balls for fun?  Did your boss tell you it’s important for your career and encourage you to take lessons.

Golfers do take time and effort to get others to get in the game, for any of the reasons above and more.  As for me, a great friend of mine Iwan – and an avid golfer – did take time to ride the train for two hours to take me to the driving range one weekend, introducing the game that I later totally fall in love with, one grip and one swing at a time. Difficult?  Yes.  Stressing?  Sure.  But here comes the kick: it’s so challenging and entertaining because in golf, you’re not competing against others, you’re competing against yourself.  It’s just you, the ball, and the green … a pretty awesome concept for a narcissistic person like me.

Enough about me.  Let’s talk about the main point here: should women really play golf?  What if the sun ruined my beautiful, clear, glowing skin?  And isn’t it a man’s sport anyway?  Let me tell you something, women or men, if you’re not using golf to drive your career, you’re definitely wasting a valuable asset.  I was also a skeptic at first, especially when I returned from my first 18-hole game with a burned face and hideous tan lines that won’t go away until I got a spa treatment that cost a lot more than the game itself!  But the rewards and benefits are so great that I still and will always have the love of the game, and here they are:

1. Respect – admit it, not many of us girls play golf, especially in our twenties.  The fact that we play or at least learn to play, really make men (boss, colleagues, friends, or spouse) respect us in a whole new way.

2. Network – my friends and I spent at least twice a week on the driving range, and being the only female golfers over there, we do attract attentions from other golfers, whether it’s fellow Mandiri-ers or our customers.  I recall meeting them later at a business event or just in the elevator or hallways and they’re always so friendly, asking me about my swings and such.  Always a great opener for more serious yet relaxed business talks later.

3. Serenity – combusting emotions can deliver a killer smash in tennis, but it can only slice or hook your swings in golf.  This isn’t like any game you’ve ever known.  You don’t get a rush when you hit perfectly, you get something better: serenity.  Standing there, looking down at the ball on the tee, concentrating, they all deliver this kind of feeling of calmness, peace, and control.  You might come to the driving range with something hanging over your head, but take my word for it, after a ball or two, the only thing hanging there is an angel’s halo.

4. Emotional Relief – malls and restos and Starbucks are so yesterday: driving range is the best new place to hang out with your girl friends, talking heart to heart in between the swings.  All the swings that you already took have released enough endorphins in your system that you’re smiling all the time, and sharing your problems with friends is a lot easier and fun that way.  Girls day out = shopping at the mall?  So last year, girls!  Now, it’s the driving range.

5. Fashion – it’s a woman’s natural instinct to always want to stand out everywhere they go, and golf course or the driving range is no exception.  And there’s nothing that can boost your confidentiality when taking your most important swing like a great golf outfit (with a matching bag if you can fork it).  From the high-end Lacoste polos to something that you find in your local factory outlets, golf does give you a great reason to go shopping more.  Something that every woman must love.

Dedicated to Iwan, who gave me my first golf club.  Looking forward to teeing off with you soon. 

Another Thing That He Said

“Okay, those shoes are stylish.  You look so sexy in them.  I know, though, that they’re very painful to wear (I think you own another pair just like them and you always complain about walking to the car whenever I park it too far away).  You know what they say.  Only an incredibly shallow, insecure woman would submit herself to that kind of pain all day long rather than wearing a simple, comfortable pair of shoes.”

I know you didn’t say that, but I kind of get that message from your eyes when you were looking at me as I walked to the counter to purchase them.