Electronic Retailer - June 2011 - 53

Smart design helps establish an emotional connection with consumers who may buy on impulse and are still not sure about their purchase decisions until they actually get the product in their hands.

is critical that you choose manufacturing partners that can deliver the goods consistently 100 percent of the time. 5. Ergonomics: How does your product feel when the consumer holds it in his hands? Is it love at first touch? The feel of a product is as important as anything because it can stimulate conscious or unconscious desire or rejection. Again, think about how Apple consistently gets this right, making successive iterations of the iPod thinner and lighter. 6. Delivery system: If you are selling a consumable good, such as a dietary supplement or a beauty product, does your delivery system promote instinctual consumption of your product? Is there a pump or a scoop that helps point to success? Consider how incredibly important this is; if you make consumption a no-brainer, you’ve just given yourself a leg up. 7. Other senses: Apple’s iPod is offered in a myriad of color choices that shine like jewels. Bare Escentuals relies on scent to stimulate warm feelings for its mineral make-up. Shakeology has managed to turn the unpleasant chalkiness of most protein shakes into something that actually tastes yummy. What are

the other ways that you can satisfy the various senses to stir favorable responses? Triggering these feelings creates desire that can help fuel your continuity programs. All of these elements should combine to help deepen consumer commitment to the product, promote good feelings and help minimize returns. With the industry’s liberal return policies, which can vary from 30- to 90-day trials, the last thing a marketer wants is a box returned unopened, signaling that the consumer never even tried the product. But there is also another enormous benefit — it helps defend a marketer against cheap imitators who will cut corners. It can even be used to educate consumers about counterfeits and shoddy knock-offs. And it can help you build a community of brand and product devotees who will herald your greatness online. Therefore, choosing the right partners to help you think through all of a product’s design elements, and who have the ability to get it manufactured on a consistent basis, is crucial. Assemble the right team, and then follow these guidelines.

With the right execution, your product might not only gain entry into the pantheon of great design, it may very well become the apple of your consumer’s eye. Steven Feinberg is the CEO of SF Global Sourcing (www.sfglobalsourcing.com) and the chair-elect of the ERA Board of Directors. His company specializes in the dissemination of intellectual property via CDs and DVDs, value-added packaging and global sourcing of a complete product configuration by leveraging a worldwide partner network. Feinberg can be reached at 1-855-SF-GLOBAL or steven@sfglobalsourcing.com.

June 2011 | electronicRETAILER

Electronic Retailer - June 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Electronic Retailer - June 2011