Thursday, May 14, 2009

EXPLOITING Costa Rica's Blue Zone

Blue Zone Living: Example of using Blue Zones as a MARKETING TOOL.

GREAT, Blue Zones are becoming the next ‘catch phrase’, joining the ranks of eco-friendly, sustainable, organic and GREEN. As if Blue Zones haven’t been exploited enough by the likes of Dan Buettner (yeah, I said it), now they’ve become a BRAND new way to market REAL ESTATE and TRAVEL in Costa Rica. Have you seen the sites popping up advertising crap like, ‘Living the Blue Zone Way of Life in Costa Rica’ or “If you could lead a healthier, happier and simpler life in Costa Rica at a third of the cost, would you?” These sites are gift wrapped in Blue Zone mentality, prettied up with great photos and Blue Zone INFO on healthier, happier lives, but when all the packaging and BULLSHIT is exposed, they’re selling Real Estate or Travel packages- How pathetic.

I've written too much about Blue Zones, but in cased you've missed them:

BLUE ZONE Bandwagon
the Other Blue Zone in Costa Rica- La Fortuna
Blue Zones- a THING of the Past

Obviously, nothing is wrong with marketing self-sustainable, eco-friendly, organic and GREEN when it’s TRUE, because many people, including myself, do like to do business with companies and people who ACTUALLY do care about the environment. But it seems as if every hotel, adventure and travel company in Costa Rica in the last 5 years or so have JUMPED on the Environmental Bandwagon and link those words into their product- whether it’s TRUE or NOT. They realize it’s SMART and chic marketing to affiliate with environmentally friendly monikers, since most consumers want to do, or at least appear they’re doing their part by supporting ‘Save the Environment’ type businesses and causes. And unfortunately, many people assume the connection to organic, or eco-friendly etc is TRUE, why wouldn’t they… it’s right there in black and white, or on the screen, or in the article, or in the advertisement… it’s gotta be TRUE. So…

Enter BLUE ZONE. Thanks to the likes of Oprah and others, The ‘Blue Zone phrase CRAZE’ already conjures up images of people leading long, healthy and productive lives into their 100’s- milking the cows, walking 5 miles merely to pick a papaya, hell if Oprah said it… so what better ‘key words’ to wrap around the Costa Rican Real Estate and Travel markets in order to lure the eco-friendly and health conscious types into purchasing property or visiting a Blue Zone. And a house on the Nicoya Peninsula, you’re almost guaranteed to live until you’re 150 years old. Pleaseeeeee

My 2-cents of Advice:

Dan and Oprah, we GET it. Leave it alone and leave whatever so-called Blue Zones left out in the world ALONE. Haven’t you SOLD enough books already? You’re not going to discover anything new you didn’t already know by finding (exposing) the first 4 Blue Zones; except for maybe the wine they drink is different. And really, you didn’t discover anything NEW. Case in POINT: Fifteen years ago I watched the ‘Donner Family’ on Family Feud (remember that show Dan?) The question: Top 7 answers to “How to live to be a 100+ years OLD?” The Donners got all 7, and like most families on that show, they weren’t that smart.

In my opinion, SMART was coining and marketing the word ‘Blue Zone’.

You don’t have to buy Blue Zone, move to a Blue Zone and you surely don’t need Dan and Oprah- ANYONE, ANYWHERE can lead a Blue Zone life, but you gotta get off the couch at some point and turn OFF Oprah and find a REASON to live your own Blue Zone and then apply yourself, religiously, maybe take a few family and friends with you… and of course reward yourself by drinking LOTS of wine- the common denominator of ALL Blue Zone centenarians.

I’ve posted enough about BLUE ZONES- I think I'm through with this Blue Zone malarkey... for NOW at least.

Hey Dan, I’m a walking, talking fuckin Blue Zone- STUDY ME, I’ll throw a wrench in your data.

and for your EnJOyMeNt... our good friend KERMIT:


Hey Everyone, we got TONS of Costa Rica Travel Information in our Travel Guide at Travel Costa Rica NOW and don't FORGET all our Costa Rica Travel Tip Videos, completely ORGANIZED so you can EASILY find what you're LOOKING for. ENjOY!