It’s a tourist trap! – Photo tour through a modern Mexican market

Over the course of my adult life I’ve come across people who are very knowledgeable about my country, some others that have at least an inkling of what goes on around these parts, and some that are just plain clueless about modern Mexico. Here are some of my favorite stories:

– A guy I met at a bar told me “Dude, are you from Mexico? I know this Mexican rock band! They’re from Brazil!”

– I live in Guadalajara; I state that plainly whenever it’s pertinent to the conversation. My Twitter friend, Paul Biedermann, asked me once: “So, Juan, how’s Guatemala these days?” There’s no bad blood between us due to that incident, but Paul has to put up with my constant ribbing every time we chat.

– Another Twitter friend, Sam Parrotto, posed this interesting question: “Do you have psychiatrists where you live?”

– One day I got the chance to discuss with Paula K. Porter, from Oklahoma (and yes, Twitter), the quintessential Mexican stereotype: a drunk native, garbed in a colorful sarape, resting by a tall cactus amidst a barren landscape, and with a bottle of some or other type of regional spirits by his side. I asked her if Okies lived in tepees.

To set the record straight: yes, we still do have sarapes, drunk people, cacti and Tequila. But in a different way. Gimme your hand; I’ll guide you.

The only cacti I’m close to nowadays are in the candied form. Also candied: pumpkin slices and sweet potatoes. If that ain’t enough, you can also find coconut confections and jars of dulce de leche.

As in every other developing country, the line between the urban and the rural inexorably blurs with the passing of the ages. Trends meld, mindsets converge (or clash), and mysticism meets pragmatism in ways that confuse and exalt the senses at the same time. And there is no better way to experience this mix of the economies of old and new, than a stroll through a modern-era Mexican mercado (market).

The market as a life-giver

It all boils down to this: man’s gotta eat. And so does his family. Be the currency corn kernels or paper and metal, the basic principle of the trade system that our ancestors set up for us still holds true in the everyday comings and goings of both buyers and suppliers of produce, meats, and assorted goods. And the market remains an important hub for this kind of activity.

People eat ALL of this. I dare not guess the nature of the sacks in the background.

Tripe and feet, cleaned and ready for a savory Menudo soup.

Mutton soup!

None of the meat products above would taste the same without some of these babies.

At Mercado San Juan de Dios, the largest in my town, there’s always a large variety of ingredients that go either straight to people’s homes or to the kitchens of the hundreds of surrounding eateries.

For those not doing the cooking, on-site eating is always available. Pictured here, a stall of carnitas and chicharrones, two classic pork preparations.

Beware: for some of these foods you will need a stomach somewhat accustomed to spiciness and/or exotic flavors. Don’t shy away, but be cautious. Also look out for cleanliness; you never know.

The market as a sign of the times

Located a few steps away from the Historic Downtown, this market –a multi-storied behemoth spanning over 4000 square meters of space– is always teeming with visitors.

As the Mercado grew and expanded over the years –a sign of the also evolving city it sits on– and became a more recognizable landmark, the nature of marketable products also changed: the food stalls now share the land with export-ready wooden and leather items, toys, traditional sweets, regional clothing, and even a whole floor dedicated to counterfeit and pirated electronic items and media. Go, bootleg Wii games.

Shoes might be a first necessity item. Here in the Mercado they also become a quaint souvenir.

Items like these luchador masks respond to the craze and popularity that the sport currently enjoys among fans.

As I toured the place with a cousin (daughter of Mexican parents) and her boyfriend (American-Canadian), I described it as a Training Center for the Haggling Arts. That description is not that far from the truth: everything is negotiable; the vendors NEED the foreigners’ business and hence every given price is somewhat marked up to allow for some bartering room. A keen eye for quality and basic commerce skills become great assets for the shopper. In the end, a cheap sale is better than a no sale, and believe me, sellers won’t go as low as to negate a profit, so don’t be afraid to tongue your way into a good deal.

One word of advice: do buy items that you –or the people you are giving to– would appreciate. These guys will try to sell you ANYTHING, and even if you don’t need it, you might fall prey to the all-too-common tourist trap due to the charm of this thing or the cuteness of that thang.

Do you have a sweet tooth?

Toys… in an alternate world without Nintendo.

Tamarind sweet pots. To indulge or not to indulge…

All kinds of traditional arts and crafts can be found in the Mercado, like this papier-mache Lady Death.

If shopping left you drained, freshen up with a swig of sugar cane juice or coconut water.

You can find these markets –some big, some a bit more restrained– all over key cities in Mexico: Guanajuato, Mexico City, Veracruz, etc. Check your Fodor’s or Lonely Planet guide to get an idea of what to expect in each place.

The sarape, cactus, and Tequila thing

As in every other stereotype, there is always a fraction of ingrained truth. The trick is to know how to get an updated version of the model and then take away with you and enjoy the best bits and disregard –or be mindful of– the bad. Me thinks.

Come to the Mercado!

Please, go local, please

Social media is definitely helping brands take care of their followers in many ways: brands have a space in our everyday lives, a place we give them from our own accord and which makes them easier to relate to; brands also have a voice that speaks and provides valuable content instead of shoving useless crap down our throats; and they also have a pair of ears that listen to us, their loyal customers, when the need arises. That’s all peachy.

But when companies get to be too big and wide-reaching, it’s easy for them to lose focus on the local tier of the business, specially while following new trends. And there’s no better way than a true story to exemplify this.

The background

I remembered my local Applebee’s as a place to go for a down-to-earth, no-frills yummy meal. Knowing well beforehand that I was up to nothing fancy, my expectations were set at an appropriate level and all was good and dandy.

Smash cut to last Sunday.

The deed

Here’s the succession of horrors that ensued that day:

1. What looked on the menu as a beautiful hand-battered fish n’ chips dish materialized in the form of three sad, oily and flat BREADED fillets.
2. The head cook said that was the way the kitchen received the ingredients, but acknowledged that it looked different to the picture on the menu. Change of dish.
3. My crispy orange chicken bowl came back 5 minutes (!!!) after I ordered it. Not even my microwave dinners are that fast. And apparently Crispy decided to chase white rabbits that day and left her cousin Soggy in her stead.
4. Other dishes at my table were equally unappetizing: pungent, minuscule shrimps, some undercooked, some overly chewy.
5. The cherry on top of the cake: the server took my bill into her own wallet and gave me change from there. Never did I see her near the order machine. Awkward.

There’s a point coming right up, be patient.

The call to action

I left that place as fast as my legs allowed. I was appalled, to say the least: my neighborhood grill gave me no pleasure anymore. I knew something had to be done, franchises in Mexico have a tendency to get away with murder quite too often. So I tweeted.

I directed my shouts at the global, verified Applebee’s account, having no success at finding a local one with good activity.

Day 1: crickets.

Day 2: tweeted again.

Day 3: crickets. Then something: Applebee’s director of social media started following me. And asked me what was wrong. I replied scantily, too much for 140 chars. He asked for my e-mail. Then nothing (it was late at night).

Day 4: e-mail from him first thing in the morning: “tell me everything”. I did.

Day 5: Nada.

Day 6: I get an e-mail from Applebee’s Mexico marketing manager. In a bad english she basically says: “Thanks, we’re working hard to please you, come again”.

Hmmm, is that it? No acknowledgement of what went wrong? No gift certificate? Hmmm again.

The lesson

For big brands seeking success in a wide market, local presence is not an option, it’s expected. Traditional media strategists, inside and outside corporations, know this better than anyone and have tailored campaigns and tactics accordingly for a long time.  Now it is imperative that social media efforts follow suit. Here’s a couple of ideas:

- You don’t need a social identifier for every branch or franchise you own. Just be sure to engage all equally, without any location related preference, and try to maintain a standard response time. Also, the use of operator trails can help make things transparent for your brand followers. Example on Twitter: “@mary Thanks for your comment, we’ll add Gruyère to your cheese dip next time. ^kellyintoronto”

- If you do have localized accounts, make sure they all follow the same guidelines and are as active as your main brand account.

- Establish proper escalation channels for locals and let the social media managers/directors/operators have a clear knowledge of the process. No need to send someone to HQ if branch can handle the issue.

- Leverage your icons: create engagement activities around local landmarks, celebrities, or even food. We localites are crazy about our own stuff, make us happy by using it in your campaigns.

We are giving brands one more chance and we’re letting them get closer to us with each social media step we take. It is then their duty to get closer to us too, don’t you think? Discuss at will my friends.

Note: I have to thank Scott Gulbransen, Director of Social Media & Digital Content at Applebee’s, for his efforts to make this right, regardless of how disappointing the end results were.

JP