I bought a slim cut dress shirt. When I got it home I unwrapped it, unfolded it, took out 15 pins, removed 4 pieces of cardboard, and a piece of plastic and held it up to see what I got. Pissed. The tent wasn't a good shirt. I don't have anything against a company selling a ready made shirt, there is certainly a huge market for it. I have a problem with the business model behind the product.
Coke does a great job at drastically changing the message, while keeping the product real. They don't sell Coke in Mexico as "tastes just like horchata". They market Coke, just as it tastes, into the hands of connected soccer fans cheering on the national team. They don't sell Coke in So Cal as "will guarantee the Lakers an NBA title this year". They market Coke, just as it is, flashing you an image of a relaxed group of friends heading to the beach.
5 guys burgers does a great job of not differentiating because they believe in 1 simple burger, in a paper bag. They do 1 thing perfectly, and you'll almost always have a hard time finding a table.
If your company differentiates its products, it should be because you can effectively please the number of markets you differentiate into, not because you think you can trick a more selective demographic into buying a niche product. If you do the later, you've lost me for good. You've insulted my intelligence, betrayed my trust, and lowered your own standard below that of mine. I will take back the shirt, never buy one from you again, and never recommend the brand again.
I can't wait to get to 5 guys for a burger and a Coke after I take back my shirt.
No comments:
Post a Comment