There's an old saying that if you build a better mouse trap the world will beat a path to your door. It's no different for cars or smartphones, laundry detergent or power drills: improve on an existing product and you have a shot at it being a hit. Ford's just released new F150 pickup is a perfect example. The company knew that to compete with Dodge and GMC and Chevy they had to do more than just offer a nicer sound system or more comfortable seats. So for this redesign they went all in. Not only is it electric, but it has more towing capacity, power and speed than existing models. Add to that the 11 power outlets on the body to juice your circular saw and beer cooler, and you have a vehicle that might make more than a few sing along with Brantley Gilbert, "Oh baby you can find me in the back of a Ford truck tailgate."
Beyond being better than the competition there are other ways to get traction in the marketplace. You can create a new product where none existed before. Consider Apple's iPad. Before it there was only the Jetsons, and comic strip musings about holding a piece of glass that would enable you to communicate, shop and be entertained with just a few taps. But then Steve Jobs showed us how something we never knew we needed could morph into something we couldn't do without. And now many would sooner sacrifice their first born then give up their iWhatvever.
You can also repackage an existing product to give it a new look. I stopped to get a drink on my way home yesterday, and went looking for my favorite Snapple. I scanned the shelves, looking for that familiar bottle, which had been glass, then plastic, only to find it now changed shape as well. Rather than being jug-like, it is a now a curvy container, perhaps trying to distinguish it against the soda, water and sports drinks in the same space. Not that the shape of the bottle will make me buy more or less, but it does stand out and draw my eye to it on a crowded shelf.
You can also combine several items together into a convenient package and push it out as new. There are first aid kits, sewing kits, picnic kits and tool kits. In each case you could certainly buy the individual items and make your own. But usually for a reduced price you can pick up the collection which gives most of what you need, some stuff you don't, and a handy container to keep it all in.
But only you can decide if it's worth it. Consider the latest from Weather Tech, a company with a successful niche business in floor mats for cars, which then expanded to bumper guards, trunk protectors and organizers for vehicles. They charge a premium price for what they say is a premium product, and have great visibility and by all accounts happy customers. Good for them.
They've tried all the avenues discussed above to build their business. The tout their floor mats as better than any out there. They created new phone mounts to tame your smartphone in your vehicle. They've repurposed and repackaged their cup holders to hold a bottle of hand sanitizer. And they put together cleaners and cloths into "detailing kits" for you to make your vehicle nice and shiny.
But I have doubts about their newest effort. Under the moniker of "Ready-to-Wash ‘Just Add Water' Complete Set" you get the "perfect cleaning set for those quick wash, rinse and drying jobs." And what is in this complete kit? Well, it comes with a bucket, wheels for the bucket, some clothes and shampoo. That's it. You could probably get the individual items at Target for $20. Their price? They say it's a steal at $129.95. True, it comes with a top for the bucket to make it into a seat for when you are washing the tires, but that's an awfully expensive place to squat.
Is this bucket system the F150, iPad or new Snapple of its class? That's up to you. But even if you believe that cleanliness is next to godliness, is $129 too steep a price for a bucket on wheels? Your car, your choice.
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Marc Wollin of Bedford lets the rain wash his car. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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