Big Green Egg. The price is the marketing.
A barbecue that costs more than a holiday, owned by people who will not shut up about it. The harder you pay, the harder you defend.
THE GIST ON BIG GREEN EGG: "Egged On"
What is the Big Green Egg?
A ceramic barbecue that is, well, a giant green egg. A large one will cost you a grand. The really big ones cost up to three.
Its owners call themselves eggheads, or as I call them, eggy boys. They hold festivals called egg fests and pack into Facebook groups in the tens of thousands, all from a company that employs about 50 people.
Why do high prices make owners louder?
The received wisdom is that high prices scare people off, but the egg is the opposite. When you spend a thousand pounds on a barbecue, you've got to get your money's worth. So you use it all the time and you fight anyone who says it's lame.
Nobody who has spent that much on something will ever admit they got it wrong. The customers become the sales force, and the company says so itself.
How does a company of 50 build a global cult?
With barely any advertising. Over a decade of double digit growth, all powered by people who've already bought one. The marketing happens after the sale, for free, by the customer.
Who pays for the advertising?
The price works like a marketing budget, except your customer pays for it and advertises it for the rest of their life. Cheap brands pay for adverts forever, because nobody ties their identity to a hundred quid grill. The expensive ones pay once at the till and let the buyer do the rest.
The most expensive products often have the cheapest marketing. Ask Lamborghini.
Would you spend £1,000 on a barbecue?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
How much does a Big Green Egg cost?
A large one costs about a grand, and the biggest cost up to three.
What do Egg owners call themselves?
Eggheads, or as Huw calls them, eggy boys. They hold festivals called egg fests.
Why is the high price good marketing?
Having spent so much, owners use it constantly and defend it, so the customers become the sales force.
See you on the next one.
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