So, What's New With You?

Have you ever noticed that every time you buy a new box of Tide, there's something NEW and DIFFERENT about it?

I don't remember where I first heard about this, but it's true. One time I buy it, it has 50% MORE DETERGENT (and MOUNTAIN SPRING FRESH SMELL!). The next time it's back to its original scent, but now has DAWN STAIN SCRUBBERS PLUS EXTRA PRE-TREATING ACTION. Other times it might include green specks for some type of SPECIAL CLEANING POWER, I'm sure.

And also notice how the box design changes. Colors are solid and vibrant on one, while the other has a sunburst effect.

The thinking behind this centers around a very common human behavior.

We get bored.

Imagine if Tide never changed. The box stays exactly the same. The detergent stays exactly the same. It cleans just fine, as well as any other detergent out there. But after you've bought the exact same box with the exact same detergent month after month for a couple of years, your eyes start to wander the next time you walk through the detergent aisle. And, just for a change of pace, you select Cheer.

Tide realized they could counteract that behavior by slightly changing box design and what we perceive to be inside. Now when we look at Tide, it's subtly different from all the other times we've bought it. It's still NEW!

So, what's NEW with you?

Comments

[Kay Miller]

Wow, very observant! I'm the one who buys the detergent, and I never thought about it. But maybe it's the "something new" that is appealing, because I always pick Tide. (Lord knows, I can't stand boring, which is also why I married YOU).

[Matthew Trogdon]

Nice catch... I had never noticed but I love the psychology of it.

Matthew Trogdon
Director of Business Development
OnMessage Inc.
www.itsonmessage.com

[Donna B]

Nice observation and brilliant strategy. But how does one do this with a fraction of the marketing budget that Tide has available to them to continually make these design and production changes? and question #2, do you think this same type of strategy would apply in the B2B market with construction equipment?
(I'm going to start watching Tide packaging a little closer now, thank you!)