Today I remembered why brands like Kraft, Nestle, Heinz, Kleenex et al have done so well. It’s because they were trusted. Trusted to deliver a remarkable product experience. The problem is, that what was, remarkable in 1963 is no longer remarkable in 2007.
Their trust was built on being safe, reliable, to have function and form. We wanted to feel confident that our cheese slice was safe to eat, hermitically sealed, made with quality milk, that the factory was clean. But now, that’s just table stakes. Cost of entry. The government has created laws which raise the stakes for remarkable products. This is a good thing. Raised standards on all things makes life better, but it does make entrepreneurship harder.
The problem is that trust has been abused by yesterdays’ heroes. Their products are still safe, but they took out all the good bits to make it profitable. Kraft Singles have reduced the cheese in them to the point that they are officially known as ‘Cheese Spread’ – check the label.
Trust is great, but if we abuse it, we leave the door open for those who are authentic.