marketing expert

The strangeness of a group of people "going on an international flight to go and procure biscuits" is not lost on Australian marketing expert Andrew Hughes, however he says the bait and switch tactics are far from new.

“Why do that,” asked Andy Dolich, a marketing expert and formerly a top executive for the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco 49ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Capitals, “when the promotional concept is to put a smile on someone’s face?”

Not that there was much risk of that, noted Howard Safir, associate director of operations at the US Marshals, who was posing as marketing expert for the day.

“It increases the intrigue,” said Monica Koyama, an entertainment marketing expert and communication management professor at USC.

But manufacturers and their suppliers have gotten more sophisticated and efficient, making it easier to experiment and put out limited-editions more frequently, said Mark Lang, a food marketing expert and associate professor of marketing at the University of Tampa.