Have you ever tried asking a marketer why someone should buy (or use) their product/ service over another? If not try it, as it is likely to be scary! Many times I have asked this question I get a long pause, a fumble and sometimes a look close to panic. Why would a consumer buy this new Brand X anti-age lotion rather than that Olay Regenerist or this Boots No.7 Protect and Prevent Serum?
Try then asking a 2nd question to your now slightly spooked marketer: what will your source of business be? What will your target consumer stop buying or using or doing to buy your product? And why?
In most cases you will get a list of a range of brands in the category. But can that be right? Can that sensible?
One tool that I have used for years and years is a simple one that helps with competitiveness and distinctiveness, and helping everyone focus on what you need to improve - or do better - which is by asking:
What is your "order winner"?
What is (or are) your "order qualifiers?
What would be your "order losers"?
Let me explain more:
ORDER WINNER
What do you offer that is unique? Different from the others you compete with? That you do better?
The benefit, feature, offer that will make people finally chose what you are offering?
It amazes me how often companies are unable to articulate this.
Maybe it is the price or the deal, even the packaging - but to compete over time you need to have something that will set you aside and be what people chose you over others for.
ORDER QUALIFIER
These tend to be things you need to offer to compete successfully in a category. Things people expect from you and products or services.
For example, you could argue that shampoos or washing products for babies that do not sting the eyes could be an order qualifier. You need to have that. It is expected. It could be the SPF level in a suncare product.
Too often, in my view, a lot of marketing and competitive battles take place here. With brands trying to out “do” and out claim on category requirements and category qualifiers.
All suncare products must have an SPF that meets regulatory levels, and for a child suncare you need a high SPF. You probably need products that are water resistant, stay on all day, are easy to apply - and yet many of the suncare battles focus on these. A truly non stinging suncare product in the eyes, that is technically a real challenge and if delivered could be a huge "order winner" for example and different and unique.
Of course, over time order winners can be "demoted" to order qualifiers - for once every child suncare is truly eye sting free it would become a qualifier. Something expected.
Order winners are unlikely to stay the same forever. The same may also be true where qualifiers could become winners if they can be completely reinvented.
ORDER LOSERS
These are probably more obvious, though also sometimes missed.
Price can often be an order loser, when the brand image or bundle of benefits and features is not perceived as offering sufficient value. Perversely in prestige being too low price can also be bad for business. Brands like Louis Vuitton have been seeking EU laws to stop online discounters selling their products so cheaply as it makes them too accessible and affects the appeal.
Safety and related things tend to play a lot in order losers, but so can poor design and poor aesthetics.
I believe that the order loser area is key when looking at repeat and repurchase, and thinking about potential order losers that may affect repeat is a fruitful area to work on.
On a brand I work with, although we knew that no alternative worked better over the long term (8 to 12 weeks) most users stopped using as they said "it does not work" - as they saw no results quickly and not be end of the first unit which ran out after about 4 weeks and so never bought the 2nd unit where they would have seen results.
I use these 3 questions a lot. Thoughts?
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