LESS STUFF, SAME MONEY, MORE VALUE
Bounty paper towels recently launched a campaign in the US called 'Clean the Mess for Less'. They're selling their new towels at twice the price of their competitors but point out that the superior quality of their product means it's twice as absorbent as cheaper or supermarket own brands. Bounty have always banged on about the 'false economy' in kitchen towel absorbency, but now the brand has slightly changed it's message to one of added value, and hence has become a good example of unproducting - yes, another word to add to the marketer's lexicon. But the concept is actually pretty neat. The consumer spends the same amount of money, on less stuff, but gets more value.
The phrase was first coined by celeb planner Russell Davies to explain how brands are trying to stop their consumers trading down by offering and communicating improved value for the same money. This added value can be performance (superior), environmental (greener), emotional (reassurance) or societal (social mission). And people are buying into it. Take for instance another good example; Howie's 'hand me down bag', a £180 designer leather bag made using quality components and made to last - they guarantee it for 10 years. The classically designed bag has quickly become one of their best sellers.As consumers look to change their shopping habits in light of the economic downturn, unproducting is definitely a viable route for established brands looking to maintain their bottom line and brand equity by offering consumers something more valuable than discounting.