INSIDER ACCESS
Back-To-School Marketing 101 : Sell SOLUTIONS , Not Products
( And A Good Lesson In Differentiating A Price-Sensitive Commodity )
Check out this extremely clever ad from Gwyneth Paltrow ’ s company , Goop . While the company ( and Paltrow ) have drawn criticism for her controversial health and lifestyle tips , the brand is thriving and targeting a wealthier consumer base : women who are 35 years or older with a household income of $ 100,000 or more . Paltrow ’ s website generates millions of visitors , and she has a massive following on social media .
The ad is simply for a mix of vitamins you can get anywhere . However , the company titled the product “ High School Genes ” and markets it for women who are frustrated and feel that their bodies aren ' t responding to diet and exercise anymore . READ THE DESCRIPTION : You need to note that it ’ s not about the quality of the vitamins or what ’ s inside .
It is simply sales copy written to appeal directly to the target market : women who are dealing with the inevitable weight gain due to hormonal imbalances . ( Go show this to any woman in her 40s and ask if this ad doesn ’ t ring true on some level .) Other vitamin packs sold by the company include “ The Mother Load ” for pregnant women ; “ Why Am I So Effing Tired ?” for exhaustion ; and “ Balls In The Air ” for those " who function at an intense pace and want to keep it that way .”
The packaging , description , and product names are sheer brilliance and are excellent examples of how you take an ordinary commodity ( in this case , vitamins ) and differentiate yourself to charge a premium . One month ’ s supply is $ 90 , or you can get them for $ 75 if you set up a monthly subscription . This is easily double the cost of going to your local grocery store and gathering these same vitamins on your own , and it ’ s worth noting you could easily do that because , by law , they have to reveal the ingredients and dosage on the back of the package . Nothing on the label is proprietary .
One MSP client of mine instantly boosted sales for his higher-level , premium-priced managed services plan by simply putting a brief description on it : " The Fast-Growth CEO Plan ." The lowest level was marked for “ Small Office / Home Office .” With a little work , he could have been a lot more creative , but it was incredibly effective . When the plan was presented in the
14 | MSPSUCCESSMAGAZINE . COM • VOLUME 1 ISSUE 9