Main Topic: Singapore Gumball Consumption

Hosts: James Stanworth , Clyde Warden

This episode starts a series of shows from Singapore. We sent out crews of marketing students to find examples of localized consumer behavior. This first production centers on an update to the old gumball machine. Centering on consumer involvement with the little toys that emerge from the capsules, this video is quite exciting to watch as consumers really get into their hunt for just the right gumball machine.

The resulting productions are great examples of classic marketing theory applied to the context of Singapore. We kick things off with gumball machines. These machines ejects capsules that contain small toys. This popular fad is very similar to photo booths from Japan, and they are often at the same locations. While watching the rough cut of this video, I was doubtful just how widespread this behavior is in Singapore. A week later, flying to Taiwan, a young couple, next to me, were playing with the capsules. They were very excited about opening them. They giggled at building them. They had a lot of intense fun. Occasionally they would take a break and play game on their iPhones or iPod Touches. I think there is a deeper meaning there.