Page 160 - 100 Great Marketing Ideas (100 Great Ideas)

76 TAILOR YOUR PRODUCTS

It is an axiom of marketing that we need to identify the needs of
specific groups of people. Segmenting the market correctly is the
first stage in planning any marketing activities, in order to offer a
product that will meet the needs of the segment and will thus have
a market.

In some cases, though, it is possible to take things further and
actually tailor the product to the exact needs of an individual. The
drawback is, of course, cost: a tailor-made suit costs a great deal more
than an off-the-peg suit, simply because it requires a much greater
amount of work from the tailor. In some cases, though, tailoring
the product can be relatively simple—which will provide a powerful
USP for the company.

The idea

In the 1980s the PC revolution was taking off, with many people
buying computers for home use. A computer is a fairly complex
piece of equipment, but is in fact built from a series of modules: it is
not all that difficult to plug in different modules to the basic system
in order to create a tailor-made product.

A 19-year-old student figured out how to sell tailored computers
directly to customers, using modular assembly in a subcontracted
factory. Customers could specify exactly what they needed, with
advice from the company if necessary, and the machines could be
assembled and dispatched within days.

The 19-year-old student was Michael Dell. Nowadays, Dell computers
are sold online as well as by telephone and mail order, and they

100 GREAT MARKETING IDEAS • 151