Do you know the story of brown M&Ms? It\u2019s one of my favorite stories both because of the cleverness it reveals but also because of\u2014at least according to conventional wisdom\u2014the unexpected source of that cleverness. The short version of the story was that the rock band Van Halen used to put in their concert contracts that they must be provided with M&Ms backstage but that no brown M&Ms were permitted. The typical reaction from the band when they found brown M&Ms was to trash the dressing room and possibly cancel the concert.<\/p>\n
Most people put that down to spoiled rock star misconduct and dismissed it as typical behavior from the breed. The thing is, all this was purposeful behavior meant to solve a serious problem. Van Halen was one of the first bands to stage elaborate shows with huge amounts of complicated gear. Some of the venues they played at couldn\u2019t accommodate that gear so their contract spelled out precisely what was required. Many venues didn\u2019t bother reading the contract, though, so dangerous things like collapsing stages occurred. The prohibition of brown M&Ms was a test to see if the concert organizers had, in fact, read the contract. If the band arrived to find brown M&Ms, they knew they could expect other problems.<\/p>\n
Over at Effectiviology<\/a> they have a great article<\/a> on the brown M&Ms story. They give more details on the Van Halen aspect but also consider how the concept can be applied to situations Irreal readers are probably more familiar with than being a rock star. It\u2019s an entertaining and informative read and very much worth a few minutes of your time to read.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you know the story of brown M&Ms? It\u2019s one of my favorite stories both because of the cleverness it reveals but also because of\u2014at least according to conventional wisdom\u2014the unexpected source of that cleverness. The short version of the … Continue reading