Blog 5

While reading the Pepsi vs. Coke in “Kenna’s Dilemma” an advertisement randomly came in my mind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLiBszzKmqw

It was interesting to read about Pepsi vs. Coke and with their battle of becoming number one drinks, this advertisement came in mind. The advertisement is really funny and rude at the same time.

“Kenna’s Dilemma” had great points which mentioned great examples that marketers can use when it comes to studying about customer insights and experience. One of the interesting points mentioned in the reading was whether if you test out the product for a period of time before making it your ultimate choice or should you decide by just taking a first look at it. The example given in the reading was between Pepsi and Coke. This battle of Pepsi vs. Coke happens in my family every time! My sisters like Pepsi because it’s sweeter than Coke. I like Coke because I like my drink to be a little strong. I can’t drink Pepsi after a few sips because it’s too sweet for me. Because Coke is a bit strong it gives me time to enjoy my drink slowly. Pepsi after a while turns so sweet for me that I can drink it almost like water. Also, the taste of Pepsi turns nasty after a few sips.

From the reading, I would like to agree that you should definitely try the product for a while before making it your final choice. An example of the Sip test that I can think of is comparing Dove chocolate with Ferrero Rocher chocolate. Dove, from its packaging, looks so yummy and seems like I can eat this chocolate forever! I love their packaging. The packet is brown with different pictures of chocolates, depending on the kind you want. The dripping of chocolate and the feel of the paper on the packet attracts me alot! The paper they use is so smooth and the chocolate melting pictures makes it look like smooth and delicious! I end up buying the chocolate but I cannot eat this chocolate for long! I can have a bite or two and it gets very sweet for me afterwards. It’s a good yummy bite, but I am a chocolate lover and I want to eat more than just a bite!

Comparing Ferrero Rocher to Dove, I don’t like their packaging. It’s not appealing to me at all. There are no pictures to allure me and even the packaging is simple. I did not eat this chocolate when I was first offered from my friend. I finally tried it since my sister was eating it in front of me. I loved it from the very first bite. I ate all three pieces of chocolate she gave me. It gives me a nice flavor, the outer part of chocolate is crispy and there is melted chocolate in between with hazelnut. It not too sweet and I can eat the entire packet at one time. I think it is really important that a product stays in market for long term. A sip test might not be enough to keep the product in market for long. Just because customers liked the first bite/sip of the product, they will like to consume the entire product. I have reduced buying Dove because I feel it is a waste of money if I cannot eat the entire chocolate.

Another interesting lesson was about packaging of products. I think it is really important that you market the product according to the product itself and then according to the location of market in which you are selling. I say this because I remember going to CVS with an international friend of mine from India. I was sick with cold and cough and wanted a medicine for myself. While I picked the “night time” tablets, my friend told me the medicine seemed bad and I should not buy it. On asking her the reason, she said the packaging was too dark and gives her a sad feeling. The colors are black and blue which are too dull and so I should stick with the day time medicine. According to her the “day time” medicine was better looking with bright sun shining. It was really interesting to see how the views on packaging differ from one country to another. With the “night time” medicine I had a feeling of a nice relaxing sleep while she had the feeling of sad and unhappy mood.

For me packaging plays an important role. I go by what looks pretty and appealing to me. I don’t eat alot of Dove chocolate but do use Dove beauty products such as Dove body lotions and soap bars. Dove offers a great scent and leaves my skin feeling really smooth. I have to use lotion every day and almost every two three hours, especially for my hands. Now I do know that Dove lotions are my number one choice for lotion. Regardless of the kind of lotion I choose, I will still be offered a great scent and the smooth feel. With that being satisfied I like to choose my bottle in Green, because green is my favorite color, while my sister picks Purple, because purple is her favorite color. Now talking about the soap bars, I am satisfied that no matter which Dove soap bar I choose I will be offered a great scent and will feel a clean smooth skin after using the soap. I NEVER choose their maroon soap bar nor lotion. The color just looks ugly and I don’t feel I will be satisfied choosing it. I like soft colors and that is why I go for more light colors like light orange with flowers or light green with white. Even though I know they all provide with the same thing I want, I go with the colors and packaging of a product.

I think it is really important for marketers to see how they package their products. Who they are going to market this product to? If it’s a young target market they should do the research on which colors are happening among young generation. Packaging does make a product either a success or a failure. Like the example I gave of my friend, she would probably never buy the “night time” medicine and maybe if the marketers offer the same packaging in India it might not work.