It's soft, it's squishy & lasts forever – How Clearly Understood Attributes Help Custom
- Kara Holm
- Jun 26, 2015
- 3 min read
I live near a commercial bakery. The smell of baking bread is ubiquitous, so much so that I rarely notice it anymore. Later this year that will change as the facility is being shut down and production will move to another province.
Walking by the factory today I was reminded of an experience I had when I worked in accounts in an advertising agency. The local bakery (now my neighbour - pictured below) was a client. The bakery wanted us to develop an advertising campaign to help it maintain marketshare in the face of new competition.
We organized two types of focus groups. First we met with product loyalists. Next we met with people who did not buy the product. The findings were astounding. The people who loved the product said:
It’s soft, it’s squishy and it lasts forever.
The people who did not buy the bread said exactly the same thing:
It’s soft, it’s squishy and it lasts forever.
When pressed it became clear that the people who did not like this kind of bread were looking for a more artisanal or "healthier" product.
The attributes that made white bread in a plastic bag the favourite among the product loyalists were the same attributes that put non-customers off. I had never heard supporters and detractors use the same language to describe something they had different views about until I worked on this account.
My client was not going to convert non-customers to the product. The bakery needed to leverage its brand loyalty and local history to maintain marketshare. Today, more than 15 years later, although no longer locally owned, the brand remains the best selling commercial bread in Atlantic Canada.
The experience was an important lesson for me. This brand’s product attributes were consistently and clearly understood by its most loyal customers as well as by its detractors. The bakery had been successful at delivering a consistent experience for decades but the bottom line was – not everyone wanted that experience. Those that had become invested in the product were staunchly loyal, and that was the group we needed to address our campaign to in the face of new competition.
Since that time, I have seen this type of polarized views over a commonly understood experience in casinos too.
I feel like there is a lot happening.
There is so much noise!
The lights are so bright!
There are so many people!
This could be an enthusiastic player describing why they love going to the casino. Equally, it could be someone describing why they never go to the casino to play.
In this time of fiscal restraint casino operators and their marketing teams need to commit to talking to the right people with the right message to attract qualified players to their properties.
What's the take away? "One man's meat is another man's poison." I really believe the insights that can help us be more effective are usually hiding in plain sight.
Businesses must know who their customers are and what they value about the products and services the choose. Casinos can work to get more customers that share their current customers’ values and psychographic attitudes. This will help casinos be more financially successful than if they just try get people in the door regardless of their relation to the business.
Another mistake businesses make is staying in the middle when describing their business. Afraid of alienating potential customers, many businesses soften the message and end up missing opportunities to really connect with the people who want what they offer. This is particularly dangerous in markets where casinos have direct competitors.
What is your property's positioning and value proposotion? Is it clearly understood by your staff and customers? Do you know what your customers like about your business? What makes them loyal to you?
Smart operators:
Build their plans around a solid understanding of their customers;
Communicate their plan to everyone in the organization so they understand their role in delivering the experience that will drive results;
Place strong focus on making sure their message is directed to their customers and not their detractors;
Have a clearly defined value proposition that is embraced and understood by staff, partners and customers.
I love bread but I’m not someone who likes soft, squishy bread that appears to stay “fresh” over long periods of time. A commercial bakery would be wasting its money to try to convert me to their product. This is not suggesting that the bread company should not feature the benefits that its core customers love in its advertising. My feelings wont' be hurt if you ignore me, and you will have more money in your pocket to talk to the people who matter most, strengthening your bond with your customers.
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