A better mousetrap

KR Connect

Insights from Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi and passionate advocate for New Zealand.  Kevin posts every weekday on his blog, sharing thoughts and exploring innovations in media, business and life from around the world.

The American philosopher Emerson once said, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door”. Rats. The man was clearly a philosopher, not an entrepreneur. My experience is that there are thousands of different mousetraps, some better than others, and no-one’s door is in danger of being beaten down. Let’s call it the Incrementalism Trap. Product changes tend to be minor, but instead of facing this truth and working with it, many companies use marketing to promote their products way beyond their contribution. A mousetrap that kills the mouse a nanosecond faster is heralded as ‘the humane trap’, the one that has an easy clean surface is sold as the ‘less-mess trap’, and so on. Consumers respond to the hype with a yawn and another product hits the fast track to commodity status. Some companies fall into the Incrementalism Trap again and again because they don’t understand their consumers and they certainly don’t value emotional connections with them.

Let’s take a counter-example. Our client Toyota has a great record on reducing emissions, but the car they know is making a real difference in the fight for sustainability is the Prius. This giant leap of the imagination is about more than a shift in fuel type and usage; it is a change in behavior. As soon as you sit in a Prius, you enter a world that cares about the future and this engagement is graphically underlined by the controls on the dash. You can see exactly when you are using the car at maximum efficiency and it’s this sort of engagement that shifts minds. And isn’t shifting minds the name of the game?

I’ve said before that it’s 'No Sustainability, No Lovemark', and I now feel that the tide is running with us. You can take your pick from the studies coming out every week about how consumers choose, but one from Hartman reported that around a third of consumers are now willing to pay a premium for sustainable goods. And that’s in a time of deep recession. People aren’t looking for better mousetraps, they’re wondering about why the mouse is in their kitchen in the first place. They are making big changes in their own behavior and are looking for companies that are doing the same. Not redesigning the pack, but redesigning from their need up. That’s why I give a cheer when I see supermarkets developing areas that reflect what they know their shoppers care about.

The baby aisle, where everything related to motherhood is gathered together has become an institution in every supermarket. I think it's fantastic to see this family fundamental joined by sections where all the sustainable products are gathered together. Not down the back with the hard-to-move loss leaders that lost, but proudly up front declaring the sustainability principles the store works on.

So far, we are at the very beginning of developing credible standards around what is and what is not sustainable, natural, organic, and all the rest, but we’re on our way. I was amazed to see Nielsen research claim that just under two-thirds of U.S. households read labels on food and beverage packages. That’s a lot of shoppers putting a lot of care and attention into their choices. As some brands get it right, the pressure will be on the rest to develop smart and compelling ways to connect their products with ideas that matter. Caring for our kids and families has always been central but it is now being joined by caring for our planet, our communities, our neighbors.

 
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  • Iain says
    "People aren't looking for better mousetraps, they're wondering about why the mouse is in their kitchen in the first place."
    I agree that this is a fundamental change in the way people look at products, but we are a long way from consumers actually truly KNOWING WHAT THEY NEED. Advertising still has the power to convince people they need things that don't really solve their problems. Cases in point: Anti-bacterial handwash, milk with added calcium, fruit juice mixed with water!??!?
    • The Who!? says
      Agreed there's a large amount of value there, once you step to that side things split into two with ethics though. Case in point - Dettol's scaremongering tactics.
      • that guy says
        organic vs free range vs other

        a huge argument - for many it's not affordable
      • Stove says
        why noy invent a judicial system for mice?
        "steal my cheese, you get the electric chair"
        im sure they would listen
        • Matt says
          That is stupid.
        • mzchiefaz says
          Sometimes a better mousetrap is ... telling your freakn neighbour not to HOARD USELESS CRAP and PUT THEIR RUBBISH OUT FOR COLLECTION ON RUBBISH DAY!! Another better mousetrap is to tell the City Council and they deal with it.

          I understand that what you do in your own home is your own business but when its starting to cause problems (such as attracting vermon and other unusual creatures) for the whole neighbourhood that's when someone needs to do something about it, especially if the person with the problem does nothing.

          Just Lazy or Just Not-All-There? ...I wonder also.
        • Joshua says
          whenever i think of mousetraps i always remember being told this as a child - "the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese"
        • Josh M says
          I totally agree with the above article, I also agree with consumers paying more for sustainable goods, I feel alot better about my choices when choosing to shop 'sustainably' which in turn affects my day to day life and wellbeing.
          Recently downsizing my car for a far more efficient model not only helps the environment but helps my financial position, at the end of the day you still get to work on time!
          It's great that supermarkets are finally listening to their bread and butter, I too appreciate groups of items and especially appreciate the international foods sections - after all we are an ever growing multi-cultural society, Why not embrace it!
        • steve says
          i think sustainability goes a long way towards product confidence, with so many companies dabbling in all the pies wouldnt it be nice to know, "yes i dont have to buy another one of those for ten years thanks ****" a better mousetrap is fine but if it aint broke...
        • collin says
          Just get a cat,what better mousetrap!

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