Dumbed down fruit

Postcards from Rethink Central

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Prefer to read? Here’s the transcript:

You know people say everything is getting dumbed down these days.

Well, I was in the supermarket the other day and

I noticed fruit had been dumbed down.

I mean… fruit?! You wouldn’t think it was particularly complex to begin with but let me tell you what happened.

I really like satsumas.

They’re kind of clementine but with baggy skin. You don’t see them as much in North America, to my great shame, but they’re very common in Europe. Clementines are the littler ones with tighter skin that always breaks up when you’re peeling it.

I prefer satsumas to clementines.

I quite like clementines. They’re a bit sweeter than satsumas. But I like the juiciness of… whatever – it doesn’t really matter.

The point is I was in the supermarket trying to buy a satsuma. I had also been online trying to buy a satsuma.

And here’s the weird thing:

in the UK, they’re not being sold as satsumas or clementines when you type that into the search box or you do the same search equivalent by standing in the fruit section of your local supermarket.

What you see is boxes labeled, – I kid you not –

“Easy Peelers”.

Well, I don’t want an ‘Easy Peeler’. What I want is a satsuma.

And the weird thing is that sometimes I have to face facts and buy a box of ‘Easy Peelers’ and sometimes in that box are clementines and sometimes in that box are satsumas. And that’s annoying.

You can see why they’ve done it because they’re thinking that the people that want to buy small orange fruit,

what they want is an ‘Easy Peeling’ life.

They want a juicy small orange fruit, that is easy to peel.

So let’s put them in a box called ‘Easy Peelers’ and the clients are happy and we can put whatever’s in season in the box. It makes perfect sense for them.

But as a keen satsuma eater, it’s quite annoying.

And this is an important thing about delivery of product. Because, you knew I’d get this round to strategy at some point, didn’t you, right? So…

If they wanted to simply shift large quantities of round orange fruit, – which obviously they do – you stick it in a box called ‘Easy Peeler’, you ship out whatever’s in stock, you move it forwards. And then you tag it online as clementine, satsuma. And the unwitting consumer, like me, buys whatever’s available.

But YOU can do better than that in your business.

Don’t make it entirely about you. Don’t deliver just what is useful for you. I mean, sure, make it so that it works for you. But also consider what the consumer wants.

I would dearly love a sticker on the side of ‘Easy Peelers’ ‘This box: satsumas’. And I would know what I was doing.

It’s just going that little tiny extra bit more.

That’s what Sales and Customer Service and looking after your clients is about. I know, it’s ridiculous.

And yes, it’s also ridiculous to be stood in a supermarket worrying about strategy. But I’m a strategist through-and-through and this is how I think.

And if you would like THIS mind and my sweet satsuma-flavored thoughts on your business, then come along to one of my Q&As.

I’m Liz Scully.
And I would love to see you there.

Next live call is May 9, 2023 - 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK.
Come along to ask your questions about launches, strategies for marketing, Masterminds or whatever you're stuck on in your business.

Add your email below and I'll send you the zoom info for the calls. See you there!

Or come say hello on Instagram here.  I microblog daily.