How quickly time flies when you’re having fun. And fun it is, watching “Suitemates“, the big new marketing campaign by Kinaxis. Canada-based supply chain software provider Kinaxis has just released this weeks episode, number five of a six-episode short video series that tells the fictional story of BILK Moore – the merger between two ERP companies. Driven by greed for more profit and ever more profit, the two respective CEOs end up behind bars for fraud and unethical business conduct, after selling their (useless) software for an exorbitant price, while throwing in extra (and equally useless) bonuses and freebies to make their customers think they’re getting a lot, when in fact they’re not.
Free is not free or is it?
Today’s episode has two locations, one in the prison sell and one in a business meeting with a client. Using the same tactics in prison as they did in their business venture, the two CEOs Hans Ahnnansoahnn and Eli Moore, played by Kevin Pollak and Ray Wise, sell non-working cigarettes lighters that require the purchase of lighter fluid…camouflage it as a bargain, because it comes with a handmade clay ashtray, a pipe, a box of scented matches, a smoking jacket and a box of cigarettes for “only” 100 dollars. So basically, you pay extra for things you don’t really need, but that are required in order to get what you really need. Sounds familiar?
The second part has a similar setting in a business meeting with a client who is frustrated with the purchase of a single piece of software, but who is the persuaded to realize the full potential by bundling it with all the other software packages, e.g. the “Internet Acceptance Plugin”, whatever that is. Poor guy…
Repetitive?
After watching five episodes I must say that this episode is perhaps a slight disappointment. While the other episodes – in my opinion – have had an increasing level of entertainment from one episode to the other, the pay-more-get-less theme is becoming a bit repetitive now. Anyway, it is good fun.
Don’t forget the prize!
And before I forget, do remember to look for the elephants, because to make the whole thing a bit more interesting, there are several elephants subtly placed throughout the scenes of the six videos. If you find them all, you can win an iPad! IT took me some time to find this week’s elephant, but I did catch it in the end.
Good marketing?
In Suitemates, Kinaxis poke fun at what they call Big ERP and how supply chain consulting companies supposedly work and how they couldn’t care less about their customers’ true needs as long as they make big bucks. Let’s hope that is not true for Kinaxis.
Kinaxis Supply Chain Expert Community
And before I forget this, too, I should mention the community website that Kinaxis launched in January this year, the Supply Chain Expert Community. While still in its infancy, over time, I believe it will grow to become the place to find and seek supply chain advice, just like the Kinaxis blog now is. I intend to do my part, by keeping a 2nd blog on that site, and by participating in the discussions, which are still a bit quiet at the moment, but hopefully, will pick up soon.
Links
- 21st Century Supply Chain: ERP-executives deny any wrongdoing
- suitemates.com: Suitemates
- kinaxis.com: Kinaxis
Related
- husdal.com: The Kinaxis Blog
