Standing Out In A World Of Infinite Supply

The past three months, I have been out on maternity leave, and although I wasn’t working in the office, my marketing brain is always turned on.  While shopping for products for my newborn, a few things were going through my head. First, there are a ridiculous amount of products needed for a child, and second, there are an endless number of choices for each of those products. With every single item needed, I found myself trying to choose between this brand or that brand. Pampers or Huggies, Dr. Browns or Avent, Graco or Fisher-Price, and the list goes on. So, how do you make a decision? Personally, I found a few consistencies in my decision making, and what types of things led me to one brand or product over another. 

The first thing I researched when looking at two separate brands were product reviews, what other people said about the product, and their experiences with them. Through “mom groups” on Facebook, Google searches, or Amazon reviews, I would gather all of the information on what people were saying about each brand’s product. This was the number one thing that would sway me one way or another. When it comes to your brand or business, make sure people are leaving reviews and talking to one another about how great your products are, because it just may be what leads someone to your brand over another. 

Next, if both reviews were about equal, I would head to the website. Look at each product more in-depth and see exactly what features they had and try to see which would work better for my specific needs. In a few instances, the websites were either outdated or didn’t have the info I was looking for, so those brands would be out. If people are looking for information on your product, make sure it is easy to access and updated regularly. 

Another thing that would earn a huge bonus in my book was either a trial period or warranty. I wanted to see if a company backed their product so much, they would be willing to let me try it or return it if I wasn’t satisfied. This is something I have seen more and more of, so if you think this might work for a product of yours, give it a try! 

Lastly, if I had questions I could not find answers to, I would reach out to the company. Customer service is extremely important, and I wanted to make sure a company cared as much about their products as I did. This would also assure me that after I purchased the item, it wouldn’t be a pain to reach out if needed. 

Now, obviously, these rules are not just for baby products, but products and services in general. No matter what you’re selling, you will always have competition. Make sure you are thinking as a consumer and do all you can to draw them to your product. Whether that be by incentivizing reviews, updating your website, or offering a free trial period, the end game is to stand out among the rest.