Customer emotions
#85 - Oct.2023
It was 1985.
Coca-Cola was concerned by the growth and traction from Pepsi. Something needed to change. The plan: introduce the New Coke.
The rest is history. A lot has been said about what might be the most memorable marketing blunder ever. A huge product launch which then reintroduced the original Coca-Cola a few months later.
This anecdote is a good reminder of the nuances and complexity of understanding customers. What went wrong? After all, they gathered feedback from nearly 200,000 customers through taste tests. Most of them love it!
Many times we forget that what we offer is much more than just a product or a service. We built relationships with customers. We create trust bonds.
Understanding customers is not just about calibrating preferences, but taking into account how behavior and emotions affect customers. What Coca-Cola ignored was the strong emotional bonds from loyal customers to what the band represented (call it tradition, old-school, genuine, etc...). They didn't want a change, even if a new offering was better.
Oversimplifying our human complexity can lead to wrong business and product decisions. In many cases, people's perceptions are much stronger than reality. Try to deeply understand the drivers and mental models behind customers.
Experiment and iterate constantly.
