When you think back to the last 50 years, what comes to mind when you think of the consumer goods industry? For most it’s standardization, uniformity and homogeneity. Manufacturers have perfected the art of creating products and delivering services with mass appeal. But the game is changing, and the companies that are at the forefront of marketing and innovation have begun appealing to individualism, non-conformity and self-expression. A “one size fits all” approach no longer suits today’s consumers, who aspire to have more personalized goods and services. They want customization and for them customization runs the gamut- from making products more portable or more portionable, to allowing consumers to tweak the product in little ways, to truly catering to specific individual needs. Read on to see who’s at the forefront of this trend and how we can capitalize on it.
Who’s Doing It
Mymuesli.com: The German online retailer offers custom-mixed breakfast cereals. The
company allows consumers to make their own cereal on-line and have it delivered to their door. They can design their own muesli mix from up to 70 different organic ingredients.Mofe Mobile Coffee: In Taiwan, Premiers Selection has made coffee on-the-go easier than ever.
Mofé Mobile Coffee is an instant filter dropping coffee drink made from ground Colombian coffee beans. It is available in a cup with a 9g coffee sachet, a creamer sachet and a sugar sachet. Customizable and on the go- a perfect combination.NIKEiD: The athletic gear manufacturer has created the ultimate customization experie
nce. Nike allows its consumers to customize every inch of their sneaker, creating a design that is perfectly right for them. Consumers choose the color, the material, and finish off with their own personal ID on the back and side of their sneaker.Implications and Applications
For mass scale manufacturing like ours, customization of products presents a challenge. But there are little tweaks that can make our products more consumer friendly to move us in the right direction. The key for Pepsi will be to provide customized products and differentiate ourselves through creative marketing and buzz. Here are a few thought starters to get us in the customization mindset.
1) Mix and Match Cans: Exclusively at Walmart, now you can create your own combination of the soft drinks you and your family love! Just pick 6 cans of your favorite varieties of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, or MUG beverages and make your own 6 pack. At $2.39, you can’t beat this value.
2) Pepsi Pop Shop: Next summer, Pepsi is taking it on the road. Coming to a city near you, the people at Pepsi are bringing you the opportunity to make Pepsi- your own way. Come inside our pop-up store and play with a variety of flavors to make your favorite Pepsi, or make a brand new Pepsi flavor that is sure to rock your world. Then take it home for your family and friends to try. Pepsi Pop Shop- a new way to experience Pepsi!
