Selling Smartphones to Monks

Many a naïve gap-yah student has set off to the Far East on a quest of personal discovery and spiritual enlightenment. Imagine their surprise when they arrive only to discover the locals come equipped with smartphones, t-shirts with western slogans and beverages distributed by The Coca-Cola Company.

Whilst my gap-year travels (how long ago they seem) were around the United States, in more recent years I’ve made my way to India and Myanmar and had the opportunity to immerse myself in local culture there. What baffled me most about Myanmar was not the lack of health-and-safety whilst crawling through temples, or my own sheer idiocy when I got food poisoning from sampling local dishes, but the monks… even a life dedicated to meditation, it seems, is not immune from the lure of the latest smartphone! Whilst Buddhism discourages possessions, almost every monk I encountered has made an exception for a smartphone – essential gear for FaceTiming those back at the monastery, snapping pictures of Myanmar’s countless worship sites and staying in touch with the family via WhatsApp.

I’ve always been fascinated by unlikely connections such as these, and never are such intriguing nuances as apparent as when you travel. Getting under the skin of the people you are selling to - be they time stressed mums or smartphone wielding monks - often reveals a far more complex and insightful picture than studies and speculation from afar.

Brands that take the time to immerse themselves in the culture of their consumers are best placed to create products and tell stories that truly engage and add value. When was the last time you got up close and personal with the people your brand “belongs” to?

Photograph from my friend Seb Higginson who is based in Myanmar – checkout his website here:http://storgaardphotography.com/