You’ve been there before. We all have. That nice pair of shoes beckons to you from the end of the rack. These might be the ones. They’ll be as perfect for work as they will for a night out. You approach them, pick the left one up. This is it. This is the pair. You flip it over. You scream. Sticker shock.
Sticker shock is as familiar to any regular shopper as long lines and “Are you finding everything okay?”. There’s no reason that that pair of shoes should cost that much, we say. But it does, and, at the end of the day, we’re not going to pay for it. Unless, perhaps, the conversation about what we’re paying for changes. Perspective shifts can be employed by brands to challenge the idea of what exactly we’re buying, and get us to buy ever more along the way.
It’s difficult for brands to drive business when they are so uncertain about buyer behavior.
It really is all about perspective. Customers are willing to support musicians on crowd-funding sites, yet choose not to pay for a service such as Tidal. There’s been a massive shift in what customers expect when they open their wallets, and this has made their attitudes toward pricing frighteningly erratic. It’s difficult for brands to drive business when they are so uncertain about buyer behavior.
Repackaging spurs reimagining. And repackaging is, quite probably, the simplest ways for brands to engage in these perspective shifts. See how the Dutch Aids Foundation took on charitable giving by selling “medication” for first-world problems. The pills, really just mints, come in a variety of remedies, such as “Always on Time,” “Not Afraid of Spiders” and “Smell Like Cotton Candy.” Scotch Super Glue took the trend in a totally different direction, imaginatively selling broken products—such as vases and plates—that customers could piece together by using the “free” packet of glue that it came with. And the Dutch budget airline Transavia briefly got into the CPG business, vending its own line of snack foods, each of which came with a redeemable flight ticket to a European destination.
Clearly, one of the encouraging aspects about perspective shifts is the way that humor can play a key role in this repackaging. This is the ideal spot for brands to let their personalities shine through, something younger generations see as an especially positive quality in brands. And though these types of efforts could strike some as gimmicky, they are undoubtedly eye-catching and memorable.
For brands looking to be perceived in a different light, perspective shifts offer the chance for both a brand and its product(s) to be thought of differently.
For many brands, of course, perspective shifts don’t make sense. Well-established brands won’t need the jumpstart that this trend can deliver. For start-ups, though, or brands looking to be perceived in a different light, perspective shifts offer the chance for both a brand and its product(s) to be thought of differently.
There is no sticker shock when customers aren’t thinking about price. A simple perspective shift can completely repackage the conversation itself. It’s a necessary reminder that stasis is dangerous and that creativity is always appealing. Don’t think outside the box, but think of a different box entirely.
Trends inspired by trendwatching.com/premium