The successful product is more than the sum of
its product benefits. Successful products offer consumers a
positive emotional and service benefit that must be
constantly reinforced.
Most successful products have two things in common. They have a benefit and an emotional positioning that can be decribed in one sentence or less. And every part of the product -- from the packaging to the advertising to the product form -- must reinforce these benefits.
Think of it this way. Your product has to be sold, and the benefits reinforced, at least four times.
(1) On the shelf.
(2) Through an internet search engine
(3) At the checkout stand. For Internet products it must pass the customer's buying cart checkout list -- the part that says do you want to delete an item?
(4) In use. After it runs out.
In Apples' quest, they reinforce everything by using the Apple logo. Not many companies can make their name a product benefit.
When you don't reinforce these benefits constantly, you open the door to your competition. It even works for the humble light bulb.
G.E. learned how to squeeze more usable light out of
their light bulbs.They initially marketed these ENHANCE lights on the initial proposition of saving five watts of electricity out of each 100 watt bulb .
Consumer were vitally uninterested. Although G.E. had this "can't miss" technology, sonsumers couldn't relate the benefits to their own lives. Since the energy savings were a minuscule portional of the utility bill, there was no visual cue and no value reinforcement.
Then we came in. We suggested G.E. change the positioning. We recommended that G.E position the bulb to give the consumer a bonus of extra wattage. More light for your money...that's a benefit. That's a service that almost any consumer can relate to. The benefit reinforces itself every time they turn on the light.
And when the bulb burns out, they have a reason to pay the extra money for the G.E. product.
Products like light bulbs, toilet paper, aspirins are often referred to as low interest or low involvement products. Butin reality, there are no low interest products, only boringwriters and marketers.
Check out our revision of Hot Button Marketing (on this page.) More tips. More ways to earn money. More ways to achieve success.
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