| Blog 5: Kenna's Dilemma |
THE ARTICLE HITS HOME FOR ME
After reading Kenna’s Dillema I feel a little surprised but extremely amazed at how the results of all the experiments panned out. However, after sitting there and really taking into account why the results were turning out the way they were...everything just made sense to me! I mean, of course the packaging makes a big deal to the consumer! Also, it makes complete and utter sense that people should always test out a product over time instead of just briefly being exposed to it. I bring these two points up because I feel that these two particular subjects are the ones that would be the most instructive/helpful to a marketer trying to gain insight from current or potential customers. If marketers can master the arts for these two ideas...great success will be sure to come.
PACKAGING MATTERS
The packaging of an item is the only thing we have to base our decisions on when we are physically in the store and cannot open the package to test out the product itself. With so many selections to choose from...the packaging is going to be the thing that drives me to make a decision. Look at the trouble I have when I’m in the store searching for toothpaste:
I purchase Crest Toothpaste regularly and, as you can see, the all the packages for the different types of Crest seem pretty similar. Let me just point out that the words on the boxes don’t matter a great deal for me because I know that I will be able to find a “whitening/tartar control” for almost any box that I select. So, this is when the packaging and color matter the most to me! The article delves into the idea that the packaging of a product can create what is called “sensation transference.” This concept is the idea that “when people give an assessment of something they might buy in a supermarket or a department store, without realizing it, they transfer sensations or impressions that they have about the packaging of the product to the product itself”. Going back to the Crest Toothpaste, when I make a final decision, I automatically go for the boxes that have a blue color or green on the box. The more blue/green on the box, the better for me! The blue color for me denotes cleanliness like the water. The green makes me think of really fresh products and a minty feeling for my mouth.
So what colors are turnoffs for me as far as my purchases are concerned? I will never go for the boxes that have the red color on them. The red just makes me think that the toothpaste will be too fiery or powerful for my teeth.  Also, I’ll never ever choose the boxes that have gold/yellow on them because I think of cavities/dirtiness when I see the boxes. Finally, I will never go for the orange colored boxes because I automatically think of sweetness and candy.  All these associations that I have for the colors are feelings that I don’t want to be felt while I’m trying to brush and CLEAN my teeth.
In the end, with so many products to choose from, marketers are going to have to have their products’ packaging stand out for a consumer. In order for a packaging to stand out, the colors need to be the perfect fit for the service that the product promises to deliver in order for positive associations to occur. The more a consumer can feel a benefit and connection with the product, the more likely they’ll be willing to shell out the money to make the purchase. If the colors or pictures on the packaging denote an unfavorable idea...you can bet that the consumer will not be inclined to buy the product. As you can see, having the perfect coloring/picture on a product equals the perfect ingredients for a profit earning package!
SLOW YOUR ROLL AND TAKE YOUR TIME!
The second important thing that I think marketers need to understand is that testing products over time and not just giving a small glimpse/sample of an item will yield more accurate results. The article talks about the Pepsi vs. Coke taste test challenge. Since only sips were given at the challenges, the Pepsi cola overwhelmingly beat Coke. Pepsi is a sweeter drink so when you take small sips of something, the sweeter product will always be the more appealing one. However, when marketers prolonged the experiment making test subjects drink a whole can of both...Coke won hands down. You see, the sweetness of Pepsi got to be way too sweet for many of the subjects.
So, let me tell you a story about a time that a long term experiment would’ve been beneficial for me. I have tried many face creams before in my time but before I try a product, I usually will just pick up a sample from retailers. So, one time I was at the mall and they were passing out free samples of face cream for Estee Lauder and Olay. They wanted to see if the inexpensive Olay cream could compete with the expensive Estee Lauder cream. I picked up both and put a little on my hands and face. The two were so similar in texture but the Estee Lauder product smelt better and sweeter than the Olay cream. It probably didn’t help that I thought the cheaper Olay product wouldn’t have been able to provide the same promising results as Estee Lauder. I ended up buying a whole case of the Estee Lauder product. That same night, I went home and applied the Estee Lauder cream to my face. You know what happened? I BROKE OUT IN HIVES! I went to the doctor and he told me that the sweeter product meant that there were more chemicals included and I was having an allergic reaction to it. I ended up giving the face cream to my mother and I went out and bought the Olay face cream instead. I was very satisfied with the Olay product and it’s the only face cream I use to this day.
The important lesson I learned here is that I needed more time to test the actual products out. By only taking a small amount of the face creams at the mall...there was no real way to see if I would be allergic to the product. Also, something like a face cream should be tested for longer periods of time because the results won’t show up instantly overnight. The wrinkles on my face won’t just disappear. It's evident that testing small amounts from little samples containers in a controlled setting, such as the mall, will not give realistic results. I need to be able to take home a whole jar and test it out on my face. I might put on more cream than the sample container permits. Just a glimpse of a product is not enough for consumers to base their whole purchasing decision around. With this mentality, marketers will need to understand this and be willing to run experiments with greater amounts of samples for longer periods of time.
Not only did I learn the importance of product testing, but I also noticed a smaller lesson in this as well. If you are going to sample products...you probably shouldn’t have the brand names showing because it can alter your judgment. I thought that the more expensive product would be the better product, but in the end...not only did I pay more for the face cream...but I also had to pay for a doctor’s visit too! |
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Name: Tina Bui
Major: Marketing
and Communication Studies
Email: tina.u.bui@gmail.com
Birthday: January 29th, 1988
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TunabeREAL at 
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