As I pen my thoughts
this time round, the buzz (more than a question) within me is - how essential
is convenience becoming today. Is it a habit? If it is, whether it is a good or
a bad one? We are no one to judge. But, do I see it as THE most important aspect
towards making my product/ service successful? Yes. The word, the habit, the
inclination, is so explicitly shown by us that it almost craves to be exploited
by the marketers. And here begins the search for the answer to how do I make my
offering convenient?
To me there are two
aspects to convenience. One is obviously the actual easy of accessibility,
something that is termed as Place in all of marketing scriptures and that
marketers think that they achieve. I wonder how all the brands claim that they
have the right portion of real estate/ digital space when placing their product
in a retail outlet or showcasing it online. How much truth lies in it? Or is
there place for every product in the market? Then I guess every product must
have its own monopoly. That’s certainly not true. So there must be products in
the wrong place.
The other aspect of
convenience, the more important aspect according to me, is the perception in
the customers mind. It is science that convenience is more psychological than
actual. In this era of multiple choices, ever thought of how a preferred taste
makes an ice cream parlor or a restaurant convenient than it actually is.
Another factor that explains the same is how the fear of not getting the
genuine product makes a particular druggist or a wine shop more convenient than
it actually is.
To accentuate on both
the aspects, one of the best example is the world’s most used search engine – www.google.com.
When I think of the popular joke that goes around (If it isn’t on the first
page of Google search, it doesn’t exist), I feel it is just apt to say that
baring the database the major reason for its success has been its convenience. And
I ain’t speaking of the convenience it has brought. It’s the convenience of
reaching it. With placing it as a home page or being a part of the toolbar on
most of the systems, accessing google search is the most convenient process for
a person online. But how does google make one feel that it’s more convenient
when every other search engine is also a click away? It sort of predicts what
the individual wants to know. Not only does it reduce the effort on typing but the
searcher has less application in terms of what exactly one wants to know.
Google presents the probable options that one might want to know.
The convenience
quotient of a product has become so vital that marketers are willing to give
away some more shares of their margin to the retailers. And it’s not just the
retail stalwarts who get the goods at a reduced price based on their huge purchases
but also our local kirana stores. Marketers know that one of the oldest retail
channels cannot be underestimated especially with the convenience it provides.
HUL has started offering its key kirana outlets with a similar service pack as
it does to any other retail giant. One could say that customer convenience has
increased the bargaining power of the local retailer today. Hence a premium
position in an outlet is of utmost importance for the marketers.
To end this endeavor of
putting my thoughts on importance of convenience, it is eminent to every
marketer that convenience is the key to succeed in a market where product
differentiation is diaphanous and becoming more difficult by the day. It is the
point of purchase visibility and the need to stay on top of the mind of the
consumer (only then will a product be truly convenient) are the factors that would
drive the marketers to reach the darkest of corners in practical and in the
consumers mind.
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