Meet customer needs and you are well on your way to business success. Sounds easy, right? Even in the age of social media where you can track what your potential customers are talking about, it can be challenging to pinpoint exactly what they need. That's because your customers don't always know how to define their needs.
It may be that the specifics on these customer needs are difficult to provide given they are linked to customer problems that are often quite complex.Even providing potential answers for customers like Calendar has done for small business people struggling with time management is a way to meet needs that customers didn't even know they had. That goes with what companies like Uber and Lyft have done for transport needs or SkyBell has accomplished for home security needs. After that, you are way ahead of your competition and on your way to building strong brand loyalty.
Stretching Product Boundaries to Meet Customer Needs
Meeting customer needs means going beyond a brand's comfort zone. That's the case with 3M and its Post-it® Brand. Recently, it launched an innovative Post-it® Brand product for indoor and outdoor use. It's called Post-it® Extreme Notes, which can withstand tough conditions and stick on new surfaces. This new capability for Post-it® Notes means that it has the potential to meet customer needs in new markets and business segments. These include the construction, culinary, and manufacturing industries.
To illustrate how tough this new product is, Post-it® Extreme Notes were put to the test in one of the most extreme places in the United States. This was Fairbanks, Alaska where local businesses participated. Remi Kent, Global Business Director, Post-it® Brand, said that the campaign for this new product was the most integrated go-to-market program in the brand’s history.
"In addition to large national broadcast, you’ll hear the Post-it® Extreme Notes campaign on radio networks, such as Sirius XM, ESPN Radio, and NBC and CBS Radio. We are also advertising in contextually-relevant digital platforms via Weather Channel properties and advertising while streaming sports programming across MLB Network, NBA Playoffs, and the Big 10 Network."
Additionally, the 3M marketing team created large-scale interactive booths. The team demonstrated Post-it® Extreme Notes at work in a construction site (International Builders Show & Build EXPO). Also, they showed how the product could be used in a fully working kitchen (International Restaurant & Foodservice Show). 3M is partnering with a series of micro-influencers to put Post-it® Extreme Notes to further drive social buzz around #PostitExtreme.
Addressing New Customers and Their Needs
The idea with Post-it® Extreme Notes was to offer it as a brand extension. Therefore, 3M could reach a new customer base and serve their needs. According to Brad Graves, Vice President & General Manager, 3M Stationery and Office Supplies Division, "We are now reaching an entirely new category for the Post-it® Brand. These are workers who work outside of a traditional office space."
Despite leading the office communication market with Post-it® Notes for over 35 years, the company's research found 82% of non-office workers experience challenges with non-verbal communication. These workplaces include everything from an outdoor construction site to an industrial kitchen. As a result, these workplaces face extreme conditions from wind, rain, and snow. They also must contend with hot temperatures, steam, and moisture.
There was a definite unmet customer need. This was not a brand gimmick. As Graves explained
We found that many workers use unreliable means of communication. For example, they write on an arm or a scrap piece of paper that could blow away. Or, they write on the back of a receipt that could easily be mistaken as trash. We immediately identified the need to create a product that would stick in extreme conditions that are most commonly found in these non-traditional work areas to help facilitate communication no matter the condition."
A Positive Response to Customer Needs Fulfillment
It is still early days with the product release. However, 3M is already seeing the fruits of their effort to focus on customer needs. Remi Kent, Global Business Director, Post-it® Brand, said, "We’ve been floored with the amount of positive feedback we’ve received through customer reviews from our major retailers, social engagement, and face-to-face feedback with consumers at our industry trade shows."
One of the most telling responses from customers has been, "What took you so long?" That says there was an unfulfilled customer need out there. That's a huge market opportunity. Plus, when fulfilled, the brand can experience a tremendous competitive advantage.
There's been a fun result from this product launch. Customers have done their own product testing. Many wanted to see how the new Post-it® Note will work under extreme conditions. Also, it's been a great way to increase social media engagement. For example, @postit was tagged on Instagram. A customer put their Post-it® Extreme Note through a car wash.
Sticking to the Product Development and Launch Plan
A significant amount of time may be involved to identify and design a response to a customer need. Brands are continually challenged to create and adhere to a product development and launch timeline. They want to deliver before the competition figures it out. However, a brand must also ensure they get it right. There don't tend to be any do-overs even for established brands.
For 3M, the process of going from the idea to product launch took about three years. According to Graves, testing the Post-it® Extreme Notes involved making sure the product was really durable enough to meet customer needs. "We put Post-it® Extreme Notes to work in some of the most extreme climates in the U.S. Plus, we performed real-life weathering and temperature tests across climates in Arizona, Minnesota, Florida, and Alaska. Post-it® Extreme Notes survived snowstorms, persistent rain, high humidity, desert elements, and more."
Of Note
It's worth the investment of time and money to study customers and potential new customers so that a brand stays on top of their needs. From there, a brand can either adapt a product or develop a new one to satisfy that need. There must be an interactive, engaging way to communicate this to the customer. In return, that brand will win fans, adding to brand equity, improving business performance, and even adding new income streams through a brand extension.
