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A recent NY Times article on ZUM soap gave me cause to reconsider the consumer involvement theory as well as the many matrices that determine when to apply emotional or rational messaging....
Soap. Yes, soap. Something we all use every day. And somehow, soap has moved from a low involvement, rational product decision to something quite different.
At $5 a pop, ZUM is definitely not your “3 bars for a dollar” bargain, though is not quite a luxury product. Such soap clearly offers emotional benefits. Perhaps your high-end soap is organic, hand made, matches your bathroom, or is coordinated with other fragrances you use.
I have also noticed that traditionally high-involvement goods also appear to be sliding towards the rational end of the spectrum. Perhaps it is the access to credit or the facility of knockoffs. Regardless, I will have to say that there are times I stress more about soap than I do about dropping serious cash on a pair of absolutely unnecessary shoes.
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Comments
Sara,
I'm with you. Those who know me best give me high-end organic soaps. It's the Starbucks effect. I believe the soaps offer more value than the 3 for a $1 soaps do. It's about perception and emotional responses.
Posted by: Lewis Green | 12.14.06
sara, we can't live in a wal-martized world. the good old value for money is still alive and kicking: more and more people is ready to pay for emotion, dream and feeling of belonging (otherwise the entire fashion system were dead since years)
Posted by: gianandrea facchini | 12.14.06
Soap is actually the example I use when I'm doing trainings to illustrate the difference between rational and emotional benefits (and which is stronger). Every soap is going to get you pretty much equally clean. But it's not just the luxury soaps that appeal to the emotions, but the one that you grew up with, or the one that makes you feel sexy or the one that makes you feel like a smart consumer because you spent less on what, after all, is just a stupid bar of soap!
Posted by: Nedra Weinreich | 12.14.06
We've made an entire business (http://www.OrganicSoapAndSpa.com)out of high end soap. The benefits, both perceived and real, are the organic contents, lack of chemicals, careful attention to the details. Interestingly, our buyers are predominantly MEN, which surprised us a bit, and the most expensive bars are our best sellers.
Posted by: Joan Saez | 12.20.06