Kenna's Dilemma

A few posts ago, I discussed Malcolm Gladwell’s TED talk about creating the perfect spaghetti sauce. This post is about the chapter titled “Kenna’s Dilemma” from his book, Blink. There were two big points that I took away from the chapter—areas I think marketers could really learn from, and I’ve outlined them below.

Lesson 1- It is important to understand if consumers really hate a product because of the product itself or because the product makes them nervous because it is different from anything they’ve ever seen before (pgs 173-174).

The implications of this lesson for marketers are pretty obvious. First, if a company’s product is terrible, it should be taken back to the drawing board for a revision. If the product is beyond repair, it should just be tossed out. It’s extremely important for marketers to find out what consumers want so they can provide them with useful products. Consumers buy certain products for specific benefits, and if they don’t believe a product can satisfy their needs, they won’t buy it.

In one of my past marketing classes, we discussed products that failed miserably, and one of my favorites was Harley-Davidson perfume. Why would anyone want to buy Harley-Davidson perfume? The brand caters to rich professionals who buy motorcycles to access their “wild” sides. When you think Harley-Davidson, what comes to mind? For me, I think of dirt and sweat. I wouldn’t want to buy perfume from a company that advocates riding a bike out in the sun. This was a brand extension that just wasn’t thought out completely.

Harley-Davidson Perfume

On the other hand, if the product just makes consumers nervous because it’s something new or different, then that’s a great place for marketers to step in. Companies should provide potential consumers with as many samples and trials of these types of products at stores, expos, etc., as possible. Consumers need to be exposed to new products repeatedly so they can see the benefits provided. If they see those benefits, they’re more likely to purchase the product.

I have a personal story when it comes to a product that I thought was going to fail miserably, but actually has been doing pretty well in the market. I’ve always been an avid Coke drinker, but I never liked that one can of Coke has so many calories. I went home to Houston one weekend, and my dad had bought a case of Coke Zero. The first thought that came to mind when I thought about Coke Zero is that it would taste nothing like regular Coke, or worse, it would taste like Diet Coke (which I absolutely cannot stand). When I took my first sip, I was pleasantly surprised. Coke Zero actually tastes pretty similar to regular Coke, and it doesn’t have any calories. This example actually leads to the second lesson I learned from the chapter.

Lesson 2- Only experts can “reliably account for their actions” (pg. 179). Essentially, only experts’ first impressions are real.

As consumers, we don’t really understand what happens during the creation of a product. This isn’t our fault at all—we’re obviously busy living our lives, which rarely includes researching in detail each product we buy. After trying a product for the first time, we may think we know the product well enough to decide whether we like it or not, but the truth is that we don’t.

Back to my Coke Zero example. Coke Zero may taste the same as regular Coke to me, but then again, I’m not an expert Coke drinker. Yes, I may have been drinking Coke for many years, but my life does not revolve around tasting different Coke products and determining which ones come out on top.

I think marketers can really use this lesson to position their products perfectly in the minds of their consumers. This lesson is essentially saying that if a product is not successful immediately, it’s alright…Use that second chance to take a step back, figure out how to expose consumers to your product correctly so they can figure out whether or not they actually want to purchase your product. Determining the right marketing mix is essential for a product’s success. Marketers need to be sure they’re selecting the right combination of promotions and distribution channels when introducing any product.

When I was trying to come up with a personal experience dealing with experts, one stuck out in my mind. It’s a little out there, but I think it supports my ideas. I think judges at dog shows are really fascinating people. Imagine, your whole job is to determine which dog is the best based on its body structure, fur, personality, among other things within a very short period of time. My dog, who was part of my family for 11 years, passed away last May, but I can still remember when we first brought her home. That’s because when my sister and I first saw her, we knew she was supposed to ours. She was a really beautiful dog—her breed was Shetland Sheepdog, so she was destined to look like a mini-Lassie. The thing is that even if she didn’t have that innate beauty, my family and I still would have thought she was beautiful because she was part of our family.

My dog, Shellie

This is where the dog show judges come in. The judges’ perception of beautiful can’t be determined by how much love they feel for a dog because that wouldn’t be fair. They have to judge the dogs using specific criteria within a few hours. That’s why sometimes the winners at these shows aren’t necessarily the most attractive dogs. No offense if you own one of them, but I personally don’t think that the Bull Terrier (the 2006 winner of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show) is particularly nice to look at. However, judges look past that and determine the best dog because they’re experts in the field.


















A Bull Terrier