Study indirectly explains why SEMA has booth babes

Running a bar - female bartenders tend to get more tips and generate more sales. It's only one factor in the equation though.

My very subjective perception is that: bartender attentiveness is the biggest thing that drives sales. An attentive male bartender will get a lot more tips than an inattentive female one, no matter how hot she is. (One of our most attractive female bartenders was also one of our worst for sales.) But an attentive attractive female bartender will drive more sales than an attentive man. Our best two bartenders have both been fairly attractive (but not booth-babe model hot) women.

However, our biggest event (not counting like... major sporting event days) was a Taylor Swift night.

NickD said:

Appleseed said:

In reply to Toyman! :

Maybe he feels they are masking a E36 M3 product with tits?

I know I'd be reluctant. If you need boobs to get me to look at your widget, how good is your widget?

Kind of my thought. Or, are you trying to distract me from how poorly-engineered or poorly-conceived your product is?

 

That's a reasonable thought but I can't imagine being that distracted by them. 

I'm pretty indifferent about using pretty women to sell a product. While Hooter's girls are cute, they would sell me more food if they had decent food. I find them, flashy cars, and booth babes to be much like a flashing neon sign. Yes, I see them, they will probably draw my eye toward whatever you are selling, but they aren't a deciding factor in a purchase. If you are selling crap, all the pretty 20-somethings in the world won't help you close the deal. 

Celebrity endorsements play into the main reason for advertising: to get people to remember your product. 

Would the George Foreman Grills have sold as well if they were simply marketed as "counter-top electric griddles"? 

Toyman! said:

Driven5 said:

In reply to californiamilleghia :

I'm actually less likely to consider car parts from booth babes, for all the same reasons that I'm less likely to consider cafe drinks from bikini baristas.

Why?

Really?

"Bikini baristas are known for their great coffee." -No one ever.

It's one thing when something or someone eye catching is there to make meaningfully associated contributions. It's another when their only contribution is aesthetic.

One can be a well lit sign visually complementing the product for customers who still care more about substance than spectacle. The other is merely a loud neon bug zapper drawing in bros with dicks for brains. 

Any company targeting bros with dicks for brains is almost universally selling something inferior.

In reply to Driven5 :

So, you use the fact that a barista is wearing a bikini to judge the coffee she is selling? Seems pretty short-sighted when you can taste the coffee.

Using that logic, stay away from these manufacturers, they are obviously building E36 M3 for people with dicks for brains. 

What's the old saying?

THiS thReAD iS usELeSs WiThOUt pICtUrEs

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Lol

In reply to Toyman! :

Willfully ignoring the nuance kinda kills the 'gotcha' moment.

But hey, one more response and you can even have the last word. 

In reply to Driven5 :

I must have missed the nuance of your all-encompassing and sweeping statement that booth babes are only employed by companies selling inferior products to dick brains. 

What if I like the product AND boobies?

It's still OK to like both in our modern, progressive society, right?

In reply to ShawnG :

Obviously not. 

Toyman! said:

Using that logic, stay away from these manufacturers, they are obviously building E36 M3 for people with dicks for brains. 

Isn't that... pretty much the stereotype of the typical driver of all of those cars?

In reply to Toyman! :

Notice that the woman in the booth with the EV is wearing the most clothing. EVs don't make noise. 

Check. 

In reply to Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :

Some of us prefer a partner that gives auditory feedback. 

In reply to ShawnG :

😂🤣😂 Well played, I tip my hat to that one..

Beer Baron 🍺 said:

Running a bar - female bartenders tend to get more tips and generate more sales. It's only one factor in the equation though.

My very subjective perception is that: bartender attentiveness is the biggest thing that drives sales. An attentive male bartender will get a lot more tips than an inattentive female one, no matter how hot she is. (One of our most attractive female bartenders was also one of our worst for sales.) But an attentive attractive female bartender will drive more sales than an attentive man. Our best two bartenders have both been fairly attractive (but not booth-babe model hot) women.

However, our biggest event (not counting like... major sporting event days) was a Taylor Swift night.

Our local watering hole has a range a talent and attractiveness behind the bar. Best service, and best tips from me, go to a 70+ year old retired shop teacher who tends bar to pass some time. Great to talk to, keeps my beer full (and always remembers I like IPA's), and won't hesitate to send my food back if he notices something's not right, before I can even get a chance to say "it's fine, I'll eat it."

He ain't much on the eyes, but maybe he's just not my type.

Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Toyman! :

Notice that the woman in the booth with the EV is wearing the most clothing. EVs don't make noise. 

 

Check. 

They don't want to scare away the nerds. 

Toyman! said:

Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Toyman! :

Notice that the woman in the booth with the EV is wearing the most clothing. EVs don't make noise. 

 

Check. 

They don't want to scare away the nerds. 

She's also the only one wearing sensible shoes. 

I can't imagine how much it must suck to stand around for 8+ hours in platform heals... 

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

I just hope they are well paid. 

So, a little digging and they are now called booth models, booth hostesses, or product demonstrators. Pay ranges from $35/hr to $60/hr at SEMA but prices vary depending on the size of the show and the demand for models. Edit: Product presenters make $55-$95 per hour. 

There is a company that specializes in providing trade show talent. Vantage Trade Show Talent. They can hook you up with a hostess, model, or even a professional product demonstrator in the major trade show cities in the USA. 

In reply to Toyman! :

In reply to Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :

Are you suggesting that booth babes are the same as hookers or that they are more expensive? 

I'm not into hookers so I couldn't say if a booth model makes more or less than a hooker. 

ShawnG said:

What if I like the product AND boobies?

It's still OK to like both in our modern, progressive society, right?

Amen to that.  In all seriousness I think the female gender is beautiful and they should be proud of it.  Nothing wrong with them being "eye candy" for a product.

In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :

But how many of them are actually impressed by a loud exhaust...

If they were, they wouldn't need to be compensated say handsomely...