Comments on: The Use of Punch and Pie as an Attendance Incentive: A Case Study http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/ Overthinking It subjects the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:17:16 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: SAM http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-7091 SAM Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:54:36 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-7091 The punch and pie generation is coming to a close. Unfortunately for us pie eaters the new pie is liquor and the new punch is liquor. The punch and pie generation is coming to a close. Unfortunately for us pie eaters the new pie is liquor and the new punch is liquor.

]]> By: Gab http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-6971 Gab Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:16:18 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-6971 Mlwaski: I realize now that I never see, "Free low-fat yogurt!" or, "Veggie trays!" in ads. Or, well, I never saw them in college, and the ads for attendance at meetings and such for the school district I work with always say at their most vague, "Refreshments provided," (which is an understood "cookies, coffee, and juice") and often say there will be pizza or muffins (and the places those come from are also understood). I think the healthiest food I saw in college as a pull for an event or gathering was, "Yummy, yummy tofu,"-esque stuff. Food that only appealed to the hardcore vegetarians/vegans that would have been going to the thing(s) anyway because they were meant for the uber-environmentalists that weren't shaving or washing their hair and crap like that (while they, of course, drove <1 mile to class). I think the diabetics are S.O.L., unfortunately, since the stuff that draws people in is the stuff diabetics need to be careful about. Pizza, ice cream, cookies, cake, etc. Non- or low-fat foods and fruits and veggies just don't get enough publicity. It's kind of sad for them. They just need a chance. Lee: (Typing out loud ish) If the writers went for a "Cartman has diabetes" plot, they'd probably end the episode with it being a false alarm somehow. I'm picturing Cartman being an even bigger a**hole than normal but everyone going with it because oh my gosh, he has diabetes. He'd totally hold it over their heads, and then at the end of the episode it would be revealed that he was diabetes-free- and he knew the whole time. Or maybe he'd think it's true and do something like give away all of his stuff because he thinks he's going to die (and still holding it over everybody's heads- I just can't picture him NOT milking it) and then he'd be totally upset when he realizes he did it for nothing. Do you (or does anyone else) currently watch _South Park_? I'm basing my assumption on the first few seasons, so I could be totally off-base in how I think the writers would approach a "Cartman has diabetes" idea. Mlwaski: I realize now that I never see, “Free low-fat yogurt!” or, “Veggie trays!” in ads. Or, well, I never saw them in college, and the ads for attendance at meetings and such for the school district I work with always say at their most vague, “Refreshments provided,” (which is an understood “cookies, coffee, and juice”) and often say there will be pizza or muffins (and the places those come from are also understood). I think the healthiest food I saw in college as a pull for an event or gathering was, “Yummy, yummy tofu,”-esque stuff. Food that only appealed to the hardcore vegetarians/vegans that would have been going to the thing(s) anyway because they were meant for the uber-environmentalists that weren’t shaving or washing their hair and crap like that (while they, of course, drove <1 mile to class). I think the diabetics are S.O.L., unfortunately, since the stuff that draws people in is the stuff diabetics need to be careful about. Pizza, ice cream, cookies, cake, etc. Non- or low-fat foods and fruits and veggies just don’t get enough publicity. It’s kind of sad for them. They just need a chance.

Lee: (Typing out loud ish) If the writers went for a “Cartman has diabetes” plot, they’d probably end the episode with it being a false alarm somehow. I’m picturing Cartman being an even bigger a**hole than normal but everyone going with it because oh my gosh, he has diabetes. He’d totally hold it over their heads, and then at the end of the episode it would be revealed that he was diabetes-free- and he knew the whole time. Or maybe he’d think it’s true and do something like give away all of his stuff because he thinks he’s going to die (and still holding it over everybody’s heads- I just can’t picture him NOT milking it) and then he’d be totally upset when he realizes he did it for nothing.

Do you (or does anyone else) currently watch _South Park_? I’m basing my assumption on the first few seasons, so I could be totally off-base in how I think the writers would approach a “Cartman has diabetes” idea.

]]> By: Equinspire http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-6968 Equinspire Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:37:23 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-6968 Hmmm, this page is first on google for 'punch and pie marketing'. Maybe you should tag this 'SEO' as well... Hmmm, this page is first on google for ‘punch and pie marketing’. Maybe you should tag this ‘SEO’ as well…

]]> By: lee http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-6967 lee Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:02:13 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-6967 Speaking of diabetes, it's interesting that in the "Elementary School Musical" episode, Cartman makes fun of another kid for his diabetes, when Cartman is clearly a prime candidate for developing diabetes himself. Cartman with diabetes is clearly a plot line waiting to be explored by South Park. Speaking of diabetes, it’s interesting that in the “Elementary School Musical” episode, Cartman makes fun of another kid for his diabetes, when Cartman is clearly a prime candidate for developing diabetes himself.

Cartman with diabetes is clearly a plot line waiting to be explored by South Park.

]]> By: mlawski http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-6963 mlawski Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:54:20 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-6963 To add to what Hit Dog was saying, I think we humans as a race need to move beyond the cliche of "punch" and "pie." Rum and cubanos is a step in the right direction. For the snootier of us, how about Cosmos and caviar? Texans can go for beer and barbecue. We New York Jews would go for seltzer and a schmear (on a bagel, naturally). Punch and pie will also add to the obesity epidemic. Punch is basically sugar, and pie is basically sugar + lard. Think of the diabetics! Do you not want them at your meetings, Mark? Do you not want them? To add to what Hit Dog was saying, I think we humans as a race need to move beyond the cliche of “punch” and “pie.” Rum and cubanos is a step in the right direction. For the snootier of us, how about Cosmos and caviar? Texans can go for beer and barbecue. We New York Jews would go for seltzer and a schmear (on a bagel, naturally).

Punch and pie will also add to the obesity epidemic. Punch is basically sugar, and pie is basically sugar + lard. Think of the diabetics! Do you not want them at your meetings, Mark? Do you not want them?

]]> By: Gab http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-6962 Gab Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:28:50 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-6962 Very rarely during my college experience did an ad go out for something that didn't include free food of some kind. And I, being an event planner at my college, totally understood the value of saying there will be free cookies or pizza provided. Security meetings (for concerts and high-profile lectures) always had pizza, for example, and the "volunteers" (since a lot of them were required to go in order to keep some other position) would complain whenever it wasn't there right as they walked in the door. I always was annoyed with people that came to the very beginning of a gathering, grabbed some of whatever was offered, and then left (sometimes after standing there for a few seconds to try to look like they cared), or the people that would see the stuff and ask what the meeting was about either as they grabbed or just before grabbing at food- and they'd leave as soon as they had enough in their hands. What irked me the most, though, was when passerby would grab something and walk away without even asking or seeming to care what was going on- they just felt entitled to whatever food or treat was on the table/counter/whatever. Very rarely during my college experience did an ad go out for something that didn’t include free food of some kind. And I, being an event planner at my college, totally understood the value of saying there will be free cookies or pizza provided. Security meetings (for concerts and high-profile lectures) always had pizza, for example, and the “volunteers” (since a lot of them were required to go in order to keep some other position) would complain whenever it wasn’t there right as they walked in the door. I always was annoyed with people that came to the very beginning of a gathering, grabbed some of whatever was offered, and then left (sometimes after standing there for a few seconds to try to look like they cared), or the people that would see the stuff and ask what the meeting was about either as they grabbed or just before grabbing at food- and they’d leave as soon as they had enough in their hands. What irked me the most, though, was when passerby would grab something and walk away without even asking or seeming to care what was going on- they just felt entitled to whatever food or treat was on the table/counter/whatever.

]]> By: Hit Dog http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-6956 Hit Dog Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:33:51 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-6956 Even punch and pie wouldn't bring people out to see the Marlins. Rum and Cuban sandwiches, maybe. Even punch and pie wouldn’t bring people out to see the Marlins. Rum and Cuban sandwiches, maybe.

]]> By: Christina http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-6953 Christina Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:57:52 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-6953 I think it you should do a graph of percentage of overthinkingit.com posts that have graphs in them vs. asianness of the author :) I think it you should do a graph of percentage of overthinkingit.com posts that have graphs in them vs. asianness of the author :)

]]> By: Nicole http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-6952 Nicole Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:50:04 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-6952 Finally, a USEFUL case study. Lovesit. Finally, a USEFUL case study. Lovesit.

]]> By: donn http://www.overthinkingit.com/2009/03/04/the-use-of-punch-and-pie-as-an-attendance-incentive-a-case-study/#comment-6950 donn Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:26:22 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=5949#comment-6950 Hmm. It seems that you need to differentiate between events that actually deliver on the punch and pie promise and those that do not serve punch and pie. If a large number of event organizers defaulted on their punch and pie, the punch and pie promising event market would collapse and your general model would be worthless. Attendees would factor in the risk of not receiving punch and pie, and you'd get negative sentiment towards punch and pie promisers. Hmm. It seems that you need to differentiate between events that actually deliver on the punch and pie promise and those that do not serve punch and pie. If a large number of event organizers defaulted on their punch and pie, the punch and pie promising event market would collapse and your general model would be worthless. Attendees would factor in the risk of not receiving punch and pie, and you’d get negative sentiment towards punch and pie promisers.

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