The AdPulp blog pointed me to an interesting article in The Economist on reaching consumers in emerging markets. Called “Easier Said Than Done,” the article discusses the lengths that major brands go to learn what new customers are doing with their products, even to the extent of dispatching employees to live in the rural countryside for months.

One great example is a line of robust washing machines that can stand up to large amounts of mud. The manufacturer introduced this model after learning that rural users were using their washers “to clean vegetables as well as clothes.” Even though it may not have five washing modes and Internet connectivity, it is selling briskly.

I’m not suggesting that your products should take up domestic chores – although a focused ion beam system may do a nice job peeling a parsnip.

But when I talk to our clients’ customers, during the course of a customer reference program, I often hear that they don’t need every leading-edge spec. Instead: “I don’t use all the bells and whistles. All I need is this specific functionality. If [the McBru client] would offer just that at a reasonable price, I’d buy one for work and one for my home office.”

Your customers may have certain basic needs that don’t require more speed, functionality or innovation. Finding and solving such a need can help you expand your installed base and line up future customers for your more advanced products.

Tags: Economist, marketing, product features

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