|
Consumer
Behaviour:
Americans
in the Fast Lane
The
fast-paced life many Americans lead is resulting in a spate
of new time saving products:
- Lipton
tea bag that lets consumers brew iced-tea with cold water
(no time to boil water!)
- Colgate
2 in 1 toothpaste and mouthwash for people who consider
it too much of a hassle to use both toothpaste and a mouthwash.
- General
Mills Milk ‘n Cereal bars with Cheerios on the outside
and a creamy real milk filling inside (who has the time
to pour milk on cereals at breakfast anymore?)
- Starkist’s
Tuna in a Pouch (who needs a tin opener?)
Comments
David Shi, President of Furman University in Greenville,
South Caroline "Waiting has become an intolerable circumstance...
We call it the acceleration syndrome... But in saving time,
these products make us even more impatient’.
The
race to save time is even concerning marketing people such
as Steve Luttmann, director of beverage brand development
for Lipton Tea, ‘We’ve heard kids say they find it inconvenient
to eat an apple or peel an orange. The convenience trend
is starting to become a little absurd... We talked to a
lot of consumers who all said they loved freshly brewed
iced-tea but didn’t want to do it themselves. The didn’t
want to spend the time boiling water’.
Even
sandwiches are following the convenience path. Smuckers
is testing ‘Uncrustables’ in several Midwestern cities.
They come with the crusts cut off for finicky kids who do
not like the brown edges. The sandwich comes frozen: just
thaw and serve.
"For
the most part, Americans are cheap and lazy" claims
Harry Balzer, vice-president of the consumer marketing research
firm NPD Group. "How difficult is it to make a sandwich
for your kid?"
"Based on an article by Caroline Mayer in the Washington
Post, January 2nd, 2001.
|
