About a year ago, a man named Fred reached out to me through a mutual acquaintance for help to market his regular barbeque grill. Regular was his word. What’s a regular grill? I asked, “you know, like other grills.”
I don’t typically work with individuals that are and underfunded. I’m happy to give them free guidance about marketing.
Over the last three years, Fred developed his regular grill which is claimed is better than other grills.
He had invested $35K in the unique drawings needed and has gotten a price from a manufacturer to make these products. It will cost him $86 per grill to manufacture it in Vietnam, and he had to order 500 at a time to get that price. He’ll also have to pay about $12,000 for a particular die to form the shell. He worked with a friend to build a website, and someone he knew made a logo for him.
He estimated that he’d have to spend $55,000 to begin, and that’s before he does any packaging or marketing of any kind.
All for a regular BBQ grill.
But now, he was stuck and unsure what to do. How can Fred market a regular grill?
Why Fred’s BBQ
I asked Fred who he made his regular grill for – he said, everyone. Anyone who likes to cook outdoors.
I asked Fred what makes him different – he said his regular grill was better than others on the market. He said he thought it was better quality but he couldn’t articulate one specific way that it was better or of higher quality.
I asked Fred where he expected to sell his regular grill online or in stores. He didn’t know much about that part but felt that people would hear about his great grill through word of mouth. He also thought he could sell it through social media because it’s free.
Simple Advice
I told Fred that unless he has a narrow and specific target, he will have a hard time selling an unknown brand.
Without some clear point of difference, his regular BBQ won’t be able to compete with well-known brands.
And I reminded him that this would not be a successful venture unless his grill solved a problem that other grills can’t remedy.
He had focused all his energy on making a grill, not on the real challenge for any marketed product – who has a problem you can solve when they buy your brand.
Discouraged
Fred was discouraged by my advice.
But it is a classic example I see often of someone starting in the wrong place. Had Fred reached out to me before he began, we would have tried to identify a gap and a need in the marketplace for grills. We would have looked to see if there was an unserved market of people who want a grill but can’t find what they need. With a small budget of $5K, he could have done some market research to identify if there was an opportunity. He could have used some simple illustrations to show hundreds of consumers, what they think.
There is wisdom in the crowds, especially if they have a problem and you have a solution.
Fred wanted me to bring my magic marketing wand and some abracadabra to help him sell these grills. I don’t have anything like that to give to him. And he didn’t like when I told him that a regular grill means an average grill without distinction. No one wants to buy average or ordinary.
All I can do is remind him that we buy stuff for a specific need that we have. Brands become favorites when they do things other products can’t do. It can take a lot of money and hard work to make something.
But the challenge is can you make something people need.
The starting point for marketing anything is faster, cheaper, or better.
Your marketing won’t save you by being extraordinary without creating a product that does one of those things.
Thinking of marketing a product? Start with knowing what problem your product solves and convince yourself with data (not anecdotes), that it is a good idea.
I’m afraid no one needs Fred’s Regular Grill, and his dreams may go up in hickory smoke.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Rachel Cheng on Unsplash
