What do chosen products have in common?

What are the common traits of products that continue to be chosen?

Have you ever wondered about this question?
Do you think you can answer this question?

When choosing a snack at a convenience store, or looking for cosmetics at a drugstore or online, even though there are numerous options in front of us, we hesitate but eventually pick up "one specific item."

"Why did I choose that product?"

When working in marketing, you constantly run into this question. Brands that get chosen versus brands that don't. Where exactly does that difference lie?

Today, I will write about the "reasons for being chosen repeatedly."

Self-introduction

▼ Who is Samugari | Consumer Goods Marketer?
- A marketer with 18 years of experience at a major consumer goods manufacturer
- Successfully achieved a V-shaped recovery for a struggling cosmetics brand
- Active marketer and team leader
- Sharing marketing insights based on practical experience

Currently, as an active marketer, I manage entire brands and projects while also building teams and developing members.

"Uniqueness" x "Benefit"

To start with the conclusion, I feel that things that continue to be chosen often possess
"a unique benefit."

This is a concept that Kazuki Nishiguchi discusses in his books and other places, and it personally resonates with me quite a bit.

※ I will write about benefits in detail in the middle section, but roughly speaking, it is "something that makes the target happy."

It might seem obvious when it's pointed out, butif asked, "Are you always conscious of this and putting it into practice?" I wonder if there are people who wouldn't be confident in their answer.

In marketing, I think that thinking about how to create this "unique benefit," how to communicate it, and how to get people to purchase it continuously is the starting point for everything.

It is best to have both uniqueness and benefits!

If this is satisfied, the possibility of becoming a brand that continues to be chosen increases.

I also always keep both in mind when I am developing products or thinking about appeals and communication.

Benefits are a must!

That said, if I had to choose which is more important, uniqueness or benefits, I would say benefits. Conversely, uniqueness alone is not enough to keep being chosen.

Products that are "highly unique but have weak or vague benefits" do exist, and they sometimes sell well temporarily. But in the end, if there is no joy, there is no reason to keep choosing them.

For example, smart speakers like the Amazon Echo. While they were new and became a hot topic when they first appeared, it is debatable whether they continued to sell well. I think their benefits were quite limited.

What to do if there is no uniqueness

So, what about cases where there are "strong benefits but no uniqueness"?

If the benefits are already common in the world, without uniqueness, there is no reason to choose that specific product or service. It ends up in a state of "having no reason to be chosen."

However, in my experience, it is not the case that you absolutely cannot succeed without uniqueness!

For example, there are the following methods:
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1. Supplement uniqueness through communication
2. Layer multiple small benefits
3. Achieve strong recall
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I often use methods 1 and 2 in my own work.
Since it would be long, I will write about the details in a separate post someday!

Method 3 might depend on the category and competitive environment, but I think there are categories where it is okay to just be in the consideration set (within the top three or so). For example, the beverage category.

Because the purchase frequency is high, if you are in the consideration set, you might be chosen with a "let's go with this one today" mindset.
Above all, distribution (being on store shelves) is sometimes more important.

So, my feeling is that while uniqueness should be there, it is not impossible to manage without it.

What is a benefit?

Now, I said benefits are a must, but what is a benefit?

is how I think we should consider it.
What good things happen and what makes them happy by using the product or service?

It is not the functions or features of a product that matter, but the happiness and joy they bring.

Even if a product has unique functions or features, it is meaningless if they do not bring happiness to the target audience or consumers. Functions and value are different, aren't they?

A common example often cited is the drill story.

Even when we know this, once we get into work mode and start thinking only about our assigned brands or products, we tend to fall into a 'manufacturer mindset' where 'function equals value'.

That is why I believe it is important to keep asking, 'Does this bring happiness to the target?'

In fact, I have had cases in the past where a product with common functional features succeeded because I proposed it by transforming those features into new value for the consumer.

There are various types of benefits

Benefits (what makes the target happy) are often thought of in terms of functional value, but there are many kinds.

In practice, we often categorize them into two main types: 'functional benefits' and 'emotional benefits,' but there are many nuances within emotional benefits.

To summarize roughly, it looks like this.

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1. Functional Benefits
Value obtained through the functions of a product or service. Examples include 'removes dirt well' or 'prevents fatigue'.

2. Emotional Benefits
The emotional value felt when using the product. 'When I buy or use this brand, I feel [XXX].'

3. Self-Expression Benefits
Value that allows one to express their ideal self by using the brand. 'When I buy or use this brand, I can express that I am [XXX].'

4. Social Benefits
Value derived from the feeling of belonging to a specific community or group. 'When I buy or use this brand, I feel like I am part of a group of people who are [XXX].' ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

For example...

Regarding 2. Emotional Benefits, take Tokyo Disney Resort. It provides not just the function of attractions, but an experience of 'happiness' and an 'extraordinary dream world.' This experiential value is what creates repeaters.

Regarding 3. Self-Expression Benefits, take healthy cereal. When buying healthy cereal, some mothers may secretly feel they are expressing that they are 'a good mother who cares about nutrition.' They might not say it out loud, though.

Regarding 4. Social Benefits, take a brand for wine enthusiasts. It offers the social benefit of 'feeling a sense of unity with the group of wine lovers.'

Invisible values such as emotion, self-expression, and social connection can sometimes be more powerful reasons for why a product continues to be chosen.

Summary

Products and services that continue to be chosen possess a "unique benefit."

The best scenario is to have both uniqueness and benefits. However, benefits are more important. Uniqueness alone is not enough to keep a product being chosen.

Furthermore, benefits are not just about functionality; they encompass a wide range, including emotion, self-expression, and social connection.

Constantly asking, "Is this delightful for the target audience?" is the core of a marketer's job, something I feel strongly through my practical work.

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