WiFi is the New Air Conditioning

The movie palaces are long gone, and so, too, is the novelty of air-conditioning. We now step into public space less to be chilled than to chill. The palace’s spiritual successor is the cafe that sends out a welcoming blast of free, unlimited Wi-Fi.

So writes Randall Stross in the Sunday NYT. He singles out Starbucks and McDonalds for charging for air conditioning (WiFi) and notes other wiser purveyors who understand they are selling an experience, not just products, and offer the service for free. Funny that Starbucks use to be held up as a poster corporation for 'experiential marketing.'

Marcus Loew, the head of a nationwide [movie theater] chain, once said, “We sell tickets to theaters, not movies.” Marketing experiences is hardly a new idea, but apparently easily forgotten in the rush to monetize everything including, Stross notes, the electrical outlets at DFW airport.

Anyway, Panera got a mention, Caribou did not. The next group of palaces for me is hotels. The Marriott Eaton Centre in Toronto where I'm staying this week wants 15.95 CND for a daily DSL connection (and bundle it with 'free long distance' calling). Out in Palo Alto at Dinahs Garden Hotel, the WiFi was free - and a view of the pool beats a wall every time.