A Nutella milkshake
A stop at the nearest drive-through before you begin the treacherous morning commute can be the perfect fix when time is scarce on a work day. Carmen Nobel’s “Clay Christensen’s Milkshake Marketing” describes how unexpectedly, many consumers purchased milkshakes for their morning food option.
When milkshake servers discovered that 40 % of their milkshakes sales were coming from morning commuters buying milkshakes to keep them busy on their drive, the company made additions to their milkshake menus to give the morning customer base greater options; essentially they were able to appeal to a specific consumer problem, and give them a broadened solution.
As a consumer, I can see how the tactic of getting inside the mind of the consumer can be effective in finding what exactly a consumer wants for a particular need. Having a company segment you into a particular, but still large group of people does not give the company a significant point of difference. On the contrary, if a company is able to offer me something that can solve a certain problem I have, the company is more likely to make a lasting impression in my mind.
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