Aud thought: Happy Hour
Every once in a while my thoughts trail off into some sort of intelligence null and absurd and random ideas pour forth. On this particular evening, due to my painful boredom, you will be privy to this phenomenon politely referred to as my thought process.
Again
**ahem**
Whatever.
Anydanghow! Tonight's topic is "happy hour".
Back in my day this concept was completely different. Thus I feel it is necessary to explain what this phrase means to me. Happy hour was a concept created to assist the average working joe. After a tiresome day on the assembly line, average, blue-collar working joe (or jane. By all means let's get this politically correct) could leave his place of unending toil and torment and stop by his/her favorite pub on the way home for some rest, relaxation, and his/her drink of preference at a reduced price. This "home away from home" was thoughtfully designated as a period of unwinding before necessity beckoned the weary worker to return to his/her place of residence where, undoubtedly, more toil and torment awaited in the form dinner, family, home repairs, etc.
Now you must recognize that this is hardly a marketing scheme. Rather, the thoughtfulness of one average joe watching out for another.
Flash forward to today. (A mere twenty years, but nonetheless....)
Enter the concept of the "Sonic Happy Hour!!! (Yes, there are three, count them three, exclamation points. God only knows why.) where you can purchase your favorite fountain drink at a mere fraction of the menu price. This period of sanctuary from the tyranny of full-price fountain drinks falls conveniently in the dead of the afternoon . May I point out that my dear average joe is still on his assembly line.
But do not be deceived, this is also not a marketing scheme. The obvious assumption is that the multi-millionaire corporate bigwigs of Sonic have identified a real and identifiable need and hurriedly instigated this revenue-sacrificing ploy for the betterment of society as a whole.
Yes, it is equally important that the children are awarded their "period of unwinding" after a toilsome day on the elementary playgrounds so that they can indulge in their favorite fresh fruit slushy before they are chauffeured to their respective homes to begin their grammar homework.
Marketing scheme? I say certainly not.
I'm out to reform corporate America.
And no, I have not been drinking. Well... except for my cherry limeade slush.
**ahem**
Again
**ahem**
Whatever.
Anydanghow! Tonight's topic is "happy hour".
Back in my day this concept was completely different. Thus I feel it is necessary to explain what this phrase means to me. Happy hour was a concept created to assist the average working joe. After a tiresome day on the assembly line, average, blue-collar working joe (or jane. By all means let's get this politically correct) could leave his place of unending toil and torment and stop by his/her favorite pub on the way home for some rest, relaxation, and his/her drink of preference at a reduced price. This "home away from home" was thoughtfully designated as a period of unwinding before necessity beckoned the weary worker to return to his/her place of residence where, undoubtedly, more toil and torment awaited in the form dinner, family, home repairs, etc.
Now you must recognize that this is hardly a marketing scheme. Rather, the thoughtfulness of one average joe watching out for another.
Flash forward to today. (A mere twenty years, but nonetheless....)
Enter the concept of the "Sonic Happy Hour!!! (Yes, there are three, count them three, exclamation points. God only knows why.) where you can purchase your favorite fountain drink at a mere fraction of the menu price. This period of sanctuary from the tyranny of full-price fountain drinks falls conveniently in the dead of the afternoon . May I point out that my dear average joe is still on his assembly line.
But do not be deceived, this is also not a marketing scheme. The obvious assumption is that the multi-millionaire corporate bigwigs of Sonic have identified a real and identifiable need and hurriedly instigated this revenue-sacrificing ploy for the betterment of society as a whole.
Yes, it is equally important that the children are awarded their "period of unwinding" after a toilsome day on the elementary playgrounds so that they can indulge in their favorite fresh fruit slushy before they are chauffeured to their respective homes to begin their grammar homework.
Marketing scheme? I say certainly not.
I'm out to reform corporate America.
And no, I have not been drinking. Well... except for my cherry limeade slush.
**ahem**