Saturday, June 27, 2015

Party with P&G (Proctor and Gamble)

Bzz agent D.Lo here, reporting on a fun and exciting baptism experience that involved personal experiences/connections and Proctor & Gamble (P&G).  I was offered an opportunity to host a P&G product party for newcomers to Canada. When I was first invited to do so, I thought I was just going to host an event in my home very much like the parties that people host to sell tupperware or candles etc. Then I got thinking about how awkward and uncomfortable events like these can sometimes get. I didn't want people associating my P&G party with the 'stuffiness' of having obligation to purchase anything. I had to think of how to plan a party or event that would disassociate product with obligation. Days went by and I was starting to panic as I really didn't know how I was going to make this happen...Then...I had an 'A-ha' moment...and this is how it played out...

My nephew (aka 'Squishy') was baptized on the 14th of June. We had a huge party for him to celebrate one of his most special milestones in his life. Everyone at the party laughed, ate, drank and made small talk. It was a great day for us all to catch up and relax. We rarely get opportunities to get together as life just seems to get busy. Just prior to the end of the evening I began to chat with a group of the guests about the P&G products I had received in the mail just days before. I mentioned how these products were sent for me to sample. When one of my sister in law's family friends asked which products I had received, I pulled out the box of samples. It was interesting to see the ladies pick up each item and talk about it in our native language. My aunt talked about how she had been using Tide for as long as she could remember and my mum mentioned how Olay was a daily face cream that she has been using since her late 20's, but that she had never tried the body wash. Another guest referred to the Swiffer commercial where the elderly couple miraculously receive one to use and how she had always wanted to try one. My cousin at some point in the evening picked up one of my Old Spice products and stood there in a deep voice saying "I'm on a horse", just like in the commercial. He had us rolling on the ground. Seconds later a competition arose with my male cousins and uncles trying to top each others mimic of the actor on the commercial.

After most products were placed back into my sample box I then proceeded to end the conversation with a raffle, explaining that they too had an opportunity to sample the products compliments of P&G. Squeals of excitement rippled throughout the room as people wrote their names on a piece of paper and threw it into the box I was drawing the names from. 10 lucky winners meant 10 families with an opportunity to try out new products they haven't tried before and for most of these them, they had a chance to reminisce about the products they depended on for so many years back home.

Thank you to P&G for connecting with me and giving me an opportunity to make a few families smile with their sample packages. P&G
will now be associated with a happy, memorable milestone occasion in our lives.



No comments: