Think about the last time you bought toothpaste. There were probably rows and rows of choices. There were probably claims up the wazoo about teeth whitening, cavity prevention, and a buncha other stuff that would require a degree in dentistry to make heads or tails of. Now, you probably spent a nanosecond making your choice, not giving much thought to all the features and benefits Toothpaste A has over Toothpaste B, C, D, etc. But, if this was the first time you’ve purchased toothpaste or you actually decided to pay attention to all the clutter, your head would probably spin. And it’s not just a toothpaste problem. It’s a paper towel problem. A shampoo problem. A dog food problem. You name it.
Why is this? Lotsa reasons.
First, there’s the shelf space war; more space = more power for a brand. Brands doggedly fighting for shelf space “innovate” by creating specialty product lines – products that feature select benefits, rather than rolling up all benefits into a super product(s). The ‘ol Good, Better, Best strategy. Specialty characteristics in the name of price and shelf real estate.
Then, there’s variety argument. Having multiple flavors of ice cream so to speak. While variety is good, do we really need 12 types of toilet paper? Are all these products truly differentiated? In most cases, I struggle to find a true difference.
So, here’s my argument: Make the best damn product possible and screw Good, Better, Best. I believe everything else will fall into place then. Let’s put our heart and soul into making the best product we can, not worrying about shelf space, variety, and the like. Let’s think deeply about the little details, let’s continuously evolve the user experience, let’s just be open to dreaming how our product could be better. And let’s not even think about entering a category or extending our brand unless we can revolutionize it, unless we can create a truly original experience or benefit.
Let’s make the best damn product even if it means we’re more expensive. If people love a product, they’ll pay more for it. I firmly believe that. Even for toothpaste. Let’s make a product that people love.
Wouldn’t that be more fun and inspiring than re-hashing old product claims or coming up with a new SKU for the sake of shelf space? I’d much rather work for a company that had a few rows of one killer product than a company that has rows and rows of good but meaningless products. Wouldn’t you?