5.08.2006

Corporate espionage- crafter espionage?

Why….

Why do other soap makers come into the booth and announce themselves like we have some special spiritual bond because we both make soap?

Why do so many of them try and hide behind this bond to find out about you and your products and your methods while smiling at you the whole time like they are your best friend?

I mean the designers at Adidas don’t walk up to people who work for Nike and ask- “so how do you make your shoes?”…
Those chemists at Merck don’t ask those at Pfizer “so what exactly is that recipe for your new drug?”….
I mean these are things that corporate espionage is made from and for…

But at least once a show I have another soap maker bluntly introduce themselves as a competitor, and ask me what my personal blends are made with, what colors I used, -my exact recipes for crying out loud. I mean, I don’t hide my ingredients- they are all over my flyer, my web site, and I’ll tell you, but not the exact recipe, and not if you announce yourself as competition. What has happened to good old research for goodness sake? And can’t two soap makers just exchange compliments without getting into the nity gritty of exact recipes? Yes, I am hostile- I pay my rent (and soon mortgage) with this stuff- I deserve to be hostile- to protect myself.

And then to ask to take my flyer on top of it- please take it- take all of my information- its public domain, its out there for the taking. Just next time- be a mystery shopper, hide your soap making experience- buy a darn bar of soap rather than just sniffing everything trying to figure out my blends- invest in your own business- do real research. Learn from the entire buying experience.

I could go on..but I won’t.. until next time….

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