Even if you’re big marketing nerds like we are, you probably don’t equate product design with online marketing very often, and neither do we. Recently however, a piece of packaging was so well designed and such a sharp, clean example of good client interaction, we can’t help but share it as a great example of how marketing teams in both the online marketing and traditional marketing world should approach their customers.
Without further ado, here is the product insert:
It’s a bi-fold insert that came with a USB rapid charging unit for smartphones. Hold the insert one way and there is a QR code so you can like and share via Facebook. Hold the insert the other way, and there is contact information so you can contact them and they can presumably solve the customer complaint.
Here is what is so brilliant: they aren’t just cheerleading for their own success. Using very brief text and a compelling ‘which side is up’ print layout, they’re letting the user decide if they love the product enough to share that love, or if they are disappointed to the point of complaint. It seems today that every company gives you an opportunity to like and share these days…nothing notable there. Heck, products and services most users might like to keep private even allow you to like and share. The difference is that the manufacturer is so confident in their product, they are giving equal billing to the possibility of failure as the possibility of success. As far as the design is concerned, they are daring the customer not to love their product, and that’s something we don’t see often enough.
So what is the lesson for internet marketing? Before any marketing is kicked off, there should be pride of craft. Marketing can’t fix shoddy products or dodgy services. If you’re going to spend the marketing dollars (online or offline), make sure your product or service is worth selling. The design choices made by the manufacturer here show that they are confident in their product’s ability to perform, and they are ready to address any complaints, anticipating only a small minority won’t be happy. If you’re going to take a product to market, test and iterate on your offering until you reach a point of confidence, and your marketing team won’t have to tiptoe around the flaws. Once you reach that bar, you can commence your marketing effort confident that you can display it’s benefits and not be afraid of the complaints.