Customer Demand Versus Customer Product Education

A key to introducing a new product to any market is making sure the customer not only knows it's available, but what to do with the damned thing. In many cases exposure is enough, but often a new product doesn't have an obvious advantage.

It was just a few years back that my paleontologist pals saw absolutely no reason for using computers in the oil business. Index cards were just fine with them. What they failed to see was the potential of a digitized paleontological database. Nothing could sway them until a client demanded digital or no sale. The firm I worked for hired the geek, me, to digitize or die.

In this particular case, the customer saw the advantage and forced the form to adapt or die. Few businesses are this lucky. It's usually the vendor that sees the value and has to convey this value to the customer. Classic marketing proposition.



We have 17th century England and tea, chocolate and coffee to thank for modern marketing practices. Tea especially was in need of some marketing education. Prior to the introduction of tea, there wasn't much new to educate the customer about. Everyone ate the same foods that they'd been eating for generations. But this tea stuff was new. Take a look at this quote from http://www.panix.com/~kendra/tea/healthy.html

Then tea first arrived in Britain it was not advertised as a beverage, but as a medicine. In 1657 it was considered an effective treatment for gout, and in 1659 the first advertisement for tea, printed by Thomas Garraway owner of the London coffeehouse Garraway's, claimed tea would not only, "...maketh the body active and lusty" but also "...removeth the obstructions of the Spleen..." and "very good against the Stone and Gravel, cleaning the Kidneys and Uriters, being drank with Virgins Honey instead of Sugar" (Ukers 1935: 39). Garaway wanted to convince the British consumers that tea was an effective cure-all, so as to increase his trade.


Being first to market with a new product is a tremendous advantage. But keep in kind that startup funding should allot a considerable amount to understanding benefits for market segment and how to convey or educate the customer about these benefits.

For your enjoyment and a tribute to the tiny tea leaf that changed the world, I give you Professor Elemental and a "Brown Cup of Joy".


Cheers!