MISTAKE #5: Your product over-promises and under-delivers

So let’s recap for a second.  You’ve identified an unmet need and you’ve listened to your shopper to make sure your product offering has the right features and the right benefits.  Good start.

Now let’s talk more about delivering on that promise with a few examples.

Years ago, a company I worked with saw the explosive growth of energy drinks and the success 5-Hour Energy had shrinking an 8- to 16-ounce energy drink down to a 2-ounce shot.

This company wanted to take the logical next step in the category by introducing a further concentrated and even more portable energy solution.

They arrived at a super concentrated energy spray from a dispenser that easily fit in a pocket or purse.  This promised the ultimate portable and convenient energy solution.  Users could quickly get a ‘dose’ equal to a cup of coffee.  Or a little more.  Or a little less.  All based on the number of sprays.

That sounds like a sure thing, right?  Clear need.  Clear benefit.  Clearly unique delivery mechanism.  Simple promise:  A potent, portable, and customizable energy solution.

I make it a habit not to share client names or brands, but trust me when I say you haven’t seen or even heard much about this great idea.  Why not?

THE OVER-PROMISE AND UNDER-DELIVERY 

As packaging and branding and marketing support began to take shape, we finally got live product samples to test.

And we discovered a very unpleasant consumption experience.  Very unpleasant.

It turned out the concentrated spray had a horrible taste and prolonged aftertaste that you wanted to wash away with a cup of coffee or Diet Coke.

And it took 10-12 sprays to deliver the equivalent energy of a cup of coffee while few could tolerate taking more than 5 sprays at a time.

And users had very different perceptions of when, how much, and how long the energy boost was. 

Our excitement for the product quickly vanished because it fell far short of the promise in several ways.

Its only promise was a boost in energy, yet we perceived inconsistent results.

The dosing experience produced an immediate ‘pain’ that we knew would be more than many people would tolerate.

While other products may have a similarly vague boost in energy, they at least offer an enjoyable consumption experience (think Diet Coke or Red Bull).

THAT STINKS 

Another client we worked with had a similar stumble.  They wanted to capitalize on the trend toward natural cleaning products that reduce unnecessary exposure to chemicals, dyes, or fragrances.

Their lab had developed a line of natural cleaning products that performed as well as the leading national brand (which was full of synthetic, unpronounceable ingredients).

A new brand and magnetic packaging had been developed and refined through concept-testing.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the first production pallets of product shipped that someone called attention to the distinct dye-free, perfume-free odor the product had.

Attention had been focused on delivering the core benefit (cleaning efficacy), which was a necessary condition for success, but it was not a sufficient condition.  Fulfilling one promise was not enough.

While we knew many of the granola segment would tolerate this smell, we also knew far fewer mainstream shoppers would make the switch.  And the volume forecast for the brand had to slash as this truth played out in the marketplace.  The volume could not justify the distribution the brand had been awarded at key retailers which lead to a painful reduction of facings with the first modular refresh.

DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES

I’ve shared two examples of over-promising and under-delivering:

• One product that failed to deliver the core benefit

• One that missed other critical expectations despite delivering the core promise. 

As your new product gets further refined, take time to revisit the promise you are making to your shoppers.  Take time to objectively assess how well you deliver on that promise.  And take time to consider what other expectations need to be met to make your promise a compelling reason to buy.

Not sure what you might be missing?  We help clients understand the product selection process for their category.  We help them understand what factors are cost-of-entry and what command special attention or premium prices.

We also love to evaluate new products and share our feedback or perspective.  If you think your product is ready for market, send us some samples.  We’ll offer productive and constructive feedback. 

Unless your product is perfect. 

In that case, we’ll send you a really nice thank you note.