I was recently working at a rather millennial agency, where an interesting conversation kicked off at the desks around me.
The question posed was “If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
Knowing, despite their early years in the industry, these people probably had the highest disposable income of their lives, I expected to hear some very high-brow responses.
Surely, they would throw a few lobsters, scoops of caviar, trays of oysters, shavings of truffles or slabs of Wagyu into the chat?
At the very least, these social and cultural explorers would let loose with a plethora of far-flung flavours?
To my great surprise, none of the above were even close to making the list.
Instead, the responses couldn’t be more traditional, affordable or attainable…
Spaghetti Bolognese.
Fettuccine carbonara.
Lasagne.
Chicken Penne.
The list went on. Or, rather, the modest Italian menu did.
The most out-there dish proposed was gnocchi. Well, it’s potato, not pasta, you know.
So, what caused this cluster of common-place cuisine?
I deduced that the mid-range meals selected were the result of two things:
If you have to eat the same dish every day, for life. you’re not going to pick anything overly unusual, interesting or challenging. Because you really have to be in the mood for something magnificent.
Current economic doom and gloom meant that everyone’s mind was in practical, preservation mode. No big aspirations. Just a desire for the reassurance of something familiar and comforting. And no-one does that better than the Italians.
Perhaps, if the question was “What would you choose for your last-ever meal?”, the answers would be radically different. Maybe people would feel the need to be experimental - to have one last rush of excitement before they look their last breath?
Or perhaps not. As many death-row inmates have proved, when our final moments come, we tend to cling to memories - like the modest meal that mum made in our childhood. A reminder of happier, safer times.
Especially in troubled times, successful brands maintain mental availability that provides consumers with a sense of consistency and confidence.
It’s why, even during a recession, established, trusted, premium products maintain strong sales in the face of cut-price copies.
Everything from the biscuits we eat to the car we drive plays a role in reassuring us you that the sky isn’t falling in. And you can’t put a price on that.
Thanks for reading.