In-store good or at-home good? is a post from a while back here at SvN. Here’s an updated take on the subject…

You know what it feels like. You go to a store. You’re comparing a few different products and you’re sold on the one that sounds like it’s the best deal. It’s got the most features. It looks the coolest. The packaging is great. There’s sensational copy on the box. Everything seems great. 

But then you get it home and it doesn’t deliver. It’s not as easy to use as you thought it’d be. It has too many features you don’t need. You end up feeling like you’ve been taken. You didn’t really get what you needed. And you realize you spent too much. 

You just bought an in-store good product. That’s a product you’re more excited about at the store than you are after you’ve actually used it. 

Smart companies make the opposite: something that’s at-home good. At-home good is when you get a product home and you’re actually more impressed with it than you were at the store. You live with an at-home product and grow to like it more and more. And you tell your friends too. 

When you create an at-home good product, you may have to sacrifice a bit of in-store sizzle. A product that executes on the basics beautifully may not seem as sexy as competitors loaded with bells and whistles. Being great at a few things often doesn’t look all that flashy from afar. That’s ok. You’re aiming for a long-term relationship, not a one-night stand.

This isn’t just about in-store packaging or displays. It’s true for advertising too. We’ve all seen the TV ad for some “revolutionary” gadget that will change your life. But when the actual product arrives in the mail, it turns out to be a disappointment. In-media good isn’t nearly as important as at-home good. You can’t paint over a bad experience with good advertising/marketing.