Making Customers task difficult (a bit)
John Robert
Projects | R&D Project Management | Operational Excellence | Leadership | Author
In the 1900s, baking a cake was a significant project for a traditional housewife. It involves preparing the right mix in the right consistency and backing it in the oven. To simplify this, some companies developed an instant cake mix in the 1930s. With this mix, all you had to do was add water, bake it at the right temperature, and voilà – the cake was ready. However, the product failed miserably, in spite of making the customer's job easy.
Market research revealed that the real issue was that mothers felt disconnected from the baking process since their role was reduced to merely adding water. To address this, the formula was revised to require adding eggs and mixing again before baking. This small change re-engaged mothers in the baking process, leading to the product’s success. Suddenly the mom's involvement was back in the making of the cake and the product picked up.
This phenomenon, where people value a product more when they contribute to its creation, is known as the IKEA effect.
Is this concept still relevant today? Absolutely, there are several examples. Just visit a PVR INOX theater where they serve you black popcorn and a packet of seasoning. You will have to add the seasoning and shake the popcorn without spilling it in your outfit. While this is an irritation, this personalized popcorn tastes better than the ready-made ACT popcorn sold at a fraction of the price, doesn't it?
Why do five-star cafeterias provide milk, decoction, and sugar separately, and ask you to make your coffee?
So, if a product needs to be successful and premium, make the task complicated, the customer owns them! Are there any other examples that come to your mind?
Driving digital transformation to enhance patient care|| Implementing innovative solutions to bridge the gap between clinicians and patients|| Senior Project Manager/BA At Cabot Technology Solutions
3 个月I feel it will also depend on whether the final outcome is Subjective or Objective. Look & feel, taste, visual appeal are subjective, and users will appreciate when they are allowed to customize or co-create. When users are given the flexibility to pin important screens, change the background, re-arrange UI components in an application, they like the product better.
AGM HR
3 个月More than making it complicated, it's the involvement of the customer in co-creation that makes the product more relatable to them and to their identity like the way Starbucks barista prepares the coffee for you & mark it with your name or the way the Subway counter guy customizes the sub from bread, to filling to the sauces. It's all about being the co-creator or giving them the driver seat
General Manager Operation
3 个月Comfort and taste matter in this world.
Regulatory Project Management at Biocon Biologics
3 个月1. Driving a gear vehicle vs automatic 2. MacDonald serves French fries with perperi packed to make your own mix 3. MTR rava idli mix. To add crud to mix and steam it