comparing multi-level marketing of financial services in humans with worthless donations in spiders
Worthless donations in spiders
Puzzled by Montenegro’ cocoons, I’ve dug net about spiders and noticed perfect essay on evolutionary biology and marketing in spiders, called “Worthless donations: male deception and female counter play in a nuptial gift-giving spider” by Maria J Albo and co-authors, BMC Evolutionary Biology2011.
What could be more simple with evolutionary marketing; let’s take spiders’ dating: boy-spider meets a girl-spider, bringing a gift with him. The gift is net-wrapped. Gift-giving helps a she-spider later on having better off-springs, while sparing a he-spider from becoming a lunch. Though occasionally he-spider may court a prospective mate with decent-looking, but “fake” gift: it could be a half – eaten fly, or even a wooden chip.
Male deception and female counter play
in a nuptial gift-giving spider
Resulting research of female spiders counter-play behavior, the authors came to the conclusion: “We propose that the gift wrapping trait allows males to exploit female foraging preference by disguising the gift content thus deceiving females into mating without acquiring direct benefits. Female preference for a genuine prey gift combined with control over mating duration, however, counteracts the male deception.”
…makes you healthy, wealthy and wise @
Sometimes human business marketing is far from straight-forward as well. So I could not help, but recollected spider gift marketing, when I’ve heard about self-help financial services seminars. One good acquaintance of mine told me about free 6 (six!)-months seminars on improving well-being, ensuring decent pension and helping friends and acquaintances becoming prosperous and happy as well. Intrigued, I phoned seminar provider to get more detailed information on services, and why the company (hereinafter – “the Company”) provides free 6-months course and company-lecturer.
Meeting you in …caffe
Reply to all my questions was: the Company is foreign-based, its’ Ukrainian consultants shall give good financial advice to a lot of people on which services, of which financial institution to choose; so that aggregate order from the Company to particular financial institution gives a discount – that is the Company remuneration in this business. Sounds great, but the Company would do it anyway, without disclosing this information to participants of scheme (the Company’ agents in fact). For more detailed information I was invited to meet in person …in caffe. Why so secretive? I highly regard providers of legitimate financial services, they open for both: to cooperate as an agent, or to buy their services. I thought there must be some strings attached. So I did not attend caffe – meeting, but my acquaintance did.
Wrapped in secrets;
multi-level marketing of financial services
The café-meeting turned out to be “recruitment” interview. The representative of gift seminars organizer informed, that their Company linked to foreign company OVB Holding AG. My acquaintance learned, that first of all she ought to buy life insurance, then for 6 months she would continue learning details of investing in insurance, banking and investment in property, other assets. For this period she will form a network of consultants (agents) and consumers; they shall use services of financial institutions “accredited” with the Company; the proceeds from transactions shall be distributed in proportion: 25% of income – to her immediate “recruiter”, another 25% of income – to the top “recruiter” – regional supervisor of the Company in Ukraine.
But this is perfectly normal financial pyramid! As far as I know, pyramids are not in a big favour of educated Ukrainian population. if this a reason for secrecy? Could multi-level marketing of financial services be a “fake gift” in disguise?
While again, it is not all that simple.
To be continued http://saharova.com/2017/03/15/642/
