That’s marketing baby!
But bad publicity is good publicity!
This month we don’t have a specific plug, we just ask that you look into your local animal rescues and donate what you can, whether it be time, money, or resources. Your local animals thank you!
SOURCES: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eLnb1aIS7uQ6SBuI4RzJ5Znvkia4FaMPinHu_LGnYGg/edit?usp=sharing
(more…)Hop up out the beeeeed, put my branded swag onnnnn.
Is free merch really the best option?
This month we don’t have a specific plug, we just ask that you look into your local animal rescues and donate what you can, whether it be time, money, or resources. Your local animals thank you!
SOURCES
https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/tim-sweeney-future-games-ai-212220281.html
https://absolutenews.com/epic-games-stores-shocking-growth-295-million-users-but-why-arent-they-spending/
https://news.instant-gaming.com/en/articles/17636-the-epic-games-store-reached-over-78-million-monthly-users-in-2026
Steam Statistics (2026) – Users, Market Share & Revenue
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/swag/
https://www.sellerscommerce.com/blog/promotional-products-statistics/
https://www.ppai.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-PPAI-Sales-Volume-Report.pdf
(more…)The heart wants what it wants.
Do you know what consumers want? Do you really?
This month we don’t have a specific plug, we just ask that you look into your local animal rescues and donate what you can, whether it be time, money, or resources. Your local animals thank you!
SOURCES
Understanding Consumer Needs: Concept, Typology, and Marketing Implications
https://ebrary.net/80436/management/core_marketing_concepts
https://openstax.org/details/books/principles-marketing/
https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/marketing-and-strategy-terms/1916-needs.html
https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/11-091.pdf
(more…)So many abreviations in marketing…
You may remember us talking about some abriviations in some of our earlier episodes. Here’s some more!
This month we don’t have a specific plug, we just ask that you look into your local animal rescues and donate what you can, whether it be time, money, or resources. Your local animals thank you!
SOURCES
Customer Relationship Management: Emerging Practice, Process, and Discipline
https://crmswitch.com/crm-industry/crm-industry-history/
https://fitsmallbusiness.com/history-of-crm/#early-1990s
The Evolution of Relationship Marketing
https://books.google.com/books?id=slGhBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CRM_systems
https://www.salesforce.com/crm/headless-crm/
(more…)Watch out for Sean’s Family Diner here soon!
Franchising seems easier, but is it really?
This month we don’t have a specific plug, we just ask that you look into your local animal rescues and donate what you can, whether it be time, money, or resources. Your local animals thank you!
SOURCES
https://www.entrepreneur.com/building-a-business/3-dads-each-invested-250-to-start-a-business-with-35-million-dollar-revenue-dad-gang
https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/the-true-failure-rate-of-small-businesses/361350
https://sharktankinsights.com/shark-tank-companies-statistics/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2019/01/04/we-answer-your-shark-tank-burning-questions/2463620002/
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2019/07/05/11-reasons-why-most-entrepreneurs-fail/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/30-years-of-the-franchise-500a/199048
https://www.tastingtable.com/1047972/the-origin-story-of-subway/ https://www.bizfranhub.com/news/subway-franchise-costs-fees-requirements-profit-potential/
https://www.franchisebreakdown.com/compare/mcdonalds-vs-subway https://www.dohassist.com/resources-blog-subway-franchise-financials
https://www.franchisebreakdown.com/franchise-cost/dominos-pizza
(more…)Do you know what small business would work. Do you really?
If you need a last minute father’s day gift? Check out Dad Gang!
This month we don’t have a specific plug, we just ask that you look into your local animal rescues and donate what you can, whether it be time, money, or resources. Your local animals thank you!
SOURCES
https://www.entrepreneur.com/building-a-business/3-dads-each-invested-250-to-start-a-business-with-35-million-dollar-revenue-dad-gang
https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/the-true-failure-rate-of-small-businesses/361350
https://sharktankinsights.com/shark-tank-companies-statistics/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2019/01/04/we-answer-your-shark-tank-burning-questions/2463620002/
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2019/07/05/11-reasons-why-most-entrepreneurs-fail/
(more…)Any sports teams want to put The Marketing Gateway on their jersey?
Maybe one day you’ll see our logo on a field?
This month we don’t have a specific plug, we just ask that you look into your local animal rescues and donate what you can, whether it be time, money, or resources. Your local animals thank you!
SOURCES
https://ussoccerhistory.org/ASHA/ASHA/saintlouis.html
https://stlsoccernews.com/history/
https://www.semissourian.com/sports/scottrade-buys-naming-rights-to-st-louis-arena-1167352
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savvis https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/advertising-or-qualified-sponsorship-payments
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2009/10/ftc-publishes-final-guides-governing-endorsements-testimonials
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/advertising-marketing
https://foresightstrategy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FS-WhitePaper-SponsorshipMarketing.pdf
https://www.sponsorpulse.com/insights/the-definitive-guide-to-measuring-sponsorship-success-for-brands
(more…)Too many cakes!!
The burden of choice for consumers could mean big bucks for your business!
SOURCES
https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/physicist-richard-feynmans-forgotten-notes-on-the-restaurant-problem-finally-deciphered-after-50-years?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2509612123
https://marketingwithdave.com/the-paradox-of-choice-in-marketing-fewer-options-more-sales/
https://www.business.com/articles/the-psychology-of-choice-and-how-your-startup-can-leverage-it/
https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/16-037_eb512e96-28d6-4c02-a7a9-39b52db95b00.pdf https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/11/pgaf287/8313348?login=false
This month we don’t have a specific plug, we just ask that you look into your local animal rescues and donate what you can, whether it be time, money, or resources. Your local animals thank you!
(more…)In my capy place.
Capybaras, sloths, and armadillos, oh my!
This month we don’t have a specific plug, we just ask that you look into your local animal rescues and donate what you can, whether it be time, money, or resources. Your local animals thank you!
SOURCES https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338243592_Theme_Park_Experience_Factors_Explaining_Amount_of_Pleasure_from_a_Visit_Time_Allocation_for_Activities_Perceived_Value_Queuing_Quality_Satisfaction_and_Loyalty
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10941660802048480
https://slate.com/technology/2026/05/capybara-brazil-cute-animal-cafe-baby-what-is.html?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/local-news/bay-county/wild-encounters-capybara-cafe-opens-in-panama-city-beach/
The Marketing Gateway is a weekly podcast hosted by Sean in St. Louis (Sean J. Jordan, President of https://www.researchplan.com/) and featuring guests from the St. Louis area and beyond.
Every week, Sean shares insights about the world of marketing and speaks to people who are working in various marketing roles – creative agencies, brand managers, MarCom professionals, PR pros, business owners, academics, entrepreneurs, researchers and more!
The goal of The Marketing Gateway is simple – we want to build a connection between all of our marketing mentors in the Midwest and learn from one another! And the best way to learn is to listen.
And the next best way is to share!
For more episodes: https://www.themarketinggateway.com
Copyright 2025, The Research & Planning Group, Inc.
TRANSCRIPT:
Like a lot of families, mine chose to take a vacation to start off the summer, and we wound up in a beach town where the chief activity is – and I’m sure this is going to shock you – sitting on the beach, all day every day.
The problem is, none of us are really beach people, and so once we had our fill of that activity, we had to look for other things to do. And in this particular beach town, there’s the sort of stuff you see everywhere – a Ferris Wheel and an outdoor shopping mall and some tourist stores and a few go-kart racetracks and mini golf and mini golf and mini golf and… did I mention mini golf?
So we were looking for something a little different to do, and that’s where we discovered that a local zoo has started an enterprise offering an experience I’ve never seen offered in the US, but which I know has become quite popular in Japan – a capybara café where you can sit and enjoy some quality time with the world’s largest rodents.
And while we usually avoid anything that smacks of animals being taken out of the wild and being put on display for bored tourists, this enterprise is a little bit different since it’s run under conditions where the needs and health of the animals are being respected, where zoologists and domestic animal caretakers are working side by side and where there’s a clear demarcation between treating the animals like pets – not OK – and treating these animals like wild creatures who are comfortable enough with humans to tolerate our intrusion into their space – much better.
My kids were thrilled, and in fact, so were a lot of the other kids and teenagers we saw while we were there, because the chance to be up close and personal with exotic animals like this is a real treat, particularly when the experience is being guided not by cynical hucksters out to make a buck but people who are really concerned about providing a once in a lifetime experience for everyone involved, it’s obvious why this capybara café has turned out to be a big hit despite its high price tag for admission and also why in an oceanside town filled with traditional options for vacation recreation, offering an experience like a capybara café makes a ton of sense.
So let’s dig into this concept in this brief episode on experience marketing. And if you’re watching the video version, you can even see a few clips from our adventure!
I’m Sean in St. Louis, and this is the Marketing Gateway.
Experience marketing is nothing new, and as long as there have been circuses, carnivals, theatrical performances, professional sports, races, musicians, street performers and theme parks, there have been marketers who’ve thought very carefully about how to ensure that people are having a good time so they’ll be more willing to spend some money along the way. The more we learn about historical cultures, the more we discover that food stalls and wandering vendors and souvenirs have long been a part of having an out of the ordinary experience.
But what sets a good experience apart from a great one is the attention to detail, and this is why companies like the theme park divisions of Disney or Universal or Lego or even Knott’s Berry Farm have poured so much time and attention into ensuring that guests have a wide variety of opportunities to not only have fun, but to buy the things they need to boost their mood or remember their trip by.
Guests who express a higher amount of pleasure tend to not only be bigger spenders, but also more loyal, and a study from 2008 published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research found that visitor immersion during consumption, surprise, participation and fun were all key indicators of loyalty.
A 2019 study published in the Journal of Tourism and Leisure Studies deeper and found that pleasure and memorability were also shaped by the amount of satisfaction or anxiety people felt regarding waiting to do things. In theme parks such as Sea World, where there’s less stress involved and the atmosphere is more relaxed, guests tend to have stronger memories and recall than in crowded theme parks where they spend a lot of their time waiting in line for rides. An implication of the research is that scheduling guaranteed activities rather than setting up long queue lines alleviates stress and enhances pleasure and satisfaction, and thus loyalty, in an experiential setting. Other research suggests that loyalty in turn leads to return visits and greater consumption.
In other words, if you are offering an experiential service and you take care of peoples’ needs, they’ll take care of you with repeat patronage and more patience for your high-priced services and amenities.
So, how does this relate to the Capybara café? We first need to delve into talking about a different sort of café experience which also originated in Asia. And that’s a cat café.
I briefly discussed cat cafés a couple of weeks ago in our look at pet marketing, and I’ll be honest – I didn’t intend to talk about them again so soon. The basic premise of cat cafes is that customers pay a cover fee to sit in a room with a bunch of cats and spend time with them in a way that allows the cats to feel safe and friendly while also raising money for their care. Early versions of the cafes allowed people to consume food and drinks near the animals, but modern versions tend to separate the experience from the consumption. In fact, the model is very similar to a theme park – you schedule the experience, purchase a ticket and then show up to pet cats before exiting to the café and gift shop to make further purchases to help you remember the experience.
Cat cafes are popular in dense urban areas where it’s difficult to keep cats as pets, and the experience of getting to meet and play with a bunch of cats is very attractive for animal lovers who want to enjoy the fun these pets can offer without having to deal with the actual care and feeding of them.
Is it expensive? Oh yeah! For my family of four, a visit to a cat café can easily push $200 for an experience that’s, at most, an hour long. But part of what makes the experience worth that money is knowing that we’re supporting the cats’ ability to live great lives in a friendly setting that is very different from the traditional animal shelter experience and which isn’t as problematic as visiting a pet store or breeder.
But indoor cats are domesticated animals. They’re dependent on humans for care and feeding, and thus a cat café is an experience that makes sense.
A capybara café, on the other hand, seems at first like one of those private petting zoos or menageries that most zoological folks would tell everyone to steer clear of. Capybaras, the world’s largest rodent, are from South America and are actually becoming quite a problem for urban areas right now, particularly in Brazil, where they have been moving into urban runoff areas and getting sick or injured from trash or hit by cars. A capybara is the size of a medium-sized dog and while they’re not aggressive and only eat plants, they are protective of their social groups and can become quite physical if they’re feeling threatened.
The premise of a capybara café, then, is to encourage the creatures to show their gentler side and to allow people to visit with them and feed them fresh vegetables – which, I can tell you from experience, they will enthusiastically eat! But the problem is that capybaras are not domestic animals raised on farms and used to human handlers. They’re often only seen in zoos or in their natural habitats and definitely shouldn’t be taken out of the wild just to go live in a café somewhere.
This is where the café we went to showed some very serious care and concern not just for the people visiting, but also the animals themselves. The place we went – it’s called Wild Encounters – A Capybara Café – is right next to a small zoo and has trained educators on staff who are responsible for not just shepherding the animals, but also watching them carefully for changes in mood or temperament and instructing the patrons on how to sit and position themselves to ensure the experience remains positive for everyone involved.
I was really surprised at how well-run this enterprise is. Guests begin in a waiting area where they can watch and observe the capybaras with the next group before entering in the enclosure themselves. This helps to reduce nervousness and build positive excitement. Once guests are admitted for their half hour or hour time slot, depending upon which level of ticket they purchased, they’re assigned to a particular table or lounge and asked to sit and wait for instructions as the capybaras are let into the area and given the choice to go where they want. Because the capys tend to favor the people closest to them giving them food, the staff will move guests around and provide directions on how to interact with the capybaras and how to feed or pet them properly.
Guests who pay for the full hour are given the chance to sit in lounge areas where they eat gelato and get a chance to meet some other animals, like Two-Toed Sloths and a Southern Three-banded Armadillo. Though it costs twice as much – it was $400 for my family – the experience is far more exciting and great for those who want to have a broader animal encounter with capybaras as the highlight. And the animal educators taught us just as much about these other creatures as we learned about the capys.
The décor is very neon-infused and cool and inspired by Japan, with pictures of capybaras doing things like surfing, wearing kimonos or even going into space. The entire vibe is very chill overall, focused on enjoying the animals and respecting their desire to move around and interact with humans without feeling the need to do tricks or perform.
One of our animal educators even explained that they don’t use toys or try to train the animals to behave in any ways, but instead use zoological methods of enrichment and reinforcement to bring out their wild instincts.
Now, you might be thinking, “that sounds like an awful lot of money and trouble to go to for your family to sit in a lounge for an hour and see some capybaras up close.” And it’s true – it is! But we’ve been to the St. Louis Zoo a number of times and see the capybaras there when they have them and it’s been fun, but never that memorable. This capybara café, however, is a place and an experience my kids, my wife and I will never forget. We got to meet these animals not as exhibits in a zoo, but as creatures we could pet and feed and just hang around without having to worry about our safety or theirs.
One of the things I was also told by the staff is that this venture has been wildly successful. In fact, the bookings for the day filled up pretty fast and the gift shop seemed to be selling quite a lot of souvenirs to happy families on their way out. The experience was novel, well-managed and, crucially, just the right length of time for both waiting and getting to hang with the animals. And when it was time to go, it was less about the disappointment of running out of time than the wonder of getting to have the experience at all.
And since capybaras are sort of the in thing right now, this café is definitely in the right place at the right time to catch a steady stream of newcomers with some disposable income and a desire to have a unique vacation experience. That’s a big win for the patrons… but also for the animals, who benefit from receiving all this education, attention and care and feeding!
I’m Sean in St. Louis, and this has been The Marketing Gateway. See ya next time!
You should be watching this episode as we squeak!
These animals may be better companians than you think!
May is mental health awareness month. If you need assistance in finding help, or you would like to donate to help others get the help they need, visit https://mhanational.org/
SOURCES
9 Most Popular Pet Birds In The U.S. (And 5 That Deserve More Love)
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics
https://thevetdesk.com/pet-health-wellness/ferrets/ferret-lifespan-how-long-do-they-live/
https://www.thesprucepets.com/rabbit-lifespan-4582447
https://www.petmojo.com/small-pets-that-live-longer-than-expected/
https://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/pages/BasicHermitCrabCare.pdf
https://www.thesprucepets.com/caring-for-pet-rats-1236746
What’s some of your Petsmart horror stories? (TW: Animal Death / Gore)
by inpetsmart
https://www.petmd.com/bird/parakeet-care-sheet
(more…)