Brand Positioning: Boxed-In

"Look, you can design your own tissue box at mykleenex.com," Beth announced last night while she read her email.

I just stared at her.

"Isn't that cool?"

"I never really said to myself 'Gee, I want a box of tissue with PJ's face on it"." I retorted.

"Wouldn't it make a fun gift?"

I thought of the toilet paper dolls with crochet skirts my wacky aunt used to make as gifts in the 70s.

"I guess it does sound like a funny idea," I said. "But look, they're oval shaped."

"So you can only use Kleenex oval boxes," Beth explained. "They're the only ones with oval boxes."

"And they cost more, right?"

"A lot more. How'd you know?" Beth asked.

"Because it's a premium pricing strategy," I explained. "Once I invest in a box holder with your face on it, I can't really throw it out. So to use it, I need to buy more pricey oval-shaped Kleenex boxes."

"But they're so cute," Beth replied.

"Would you be willing to pay more if they were ugly?"

The final catch? The custom boxes cost $4.99 each -- plus $6.00 shipping. And they appear to be an actual box of Kleenex tissue, not a box holder as I first thought. So, when you're done, you toss it. A big price to pay to stare at a picture of a loved one while you battle hay fever.

However, I give Kimberly-Clark credit. They've found a clever way to solicit a hefty fee for a product most think of as a commodity.

Make a special edition of your product and people will pay a premium for it. I've seen everything from a gold-plated collector's edition Snap-On torque wrench to U2 iPods with engraved signatures. It's all based on the same strategy: Create a custom or limited edition product to make your customer feel special and they will pay for the privilege. I think the gold-plated torque wrench was more than twice the price of an unadorned version. And would you really use it to seat spark plugs on a greasy engine? But technicians snapped them up -- no pun intended.

How can you create a special edition, custom or premium version of your product or service? Don't think it's possible? Drop me a line, I'll give you my thoughts. Be the first to stump me and I may even send you a customized Kleenex box -- adorned with my smiling mug!

-- Phil Sasso

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