"Fidget Factor" And How It Factors In To Your Products' Packaging.

Throughout the years of my sales experience, I have observed a very common trait amongst prospects… the need to touch, feel or handle what it is we're interested in. Whether it's a toy, a automobile, or the latest electronic gadgets, it isn't enough for us to simply watch a demonstration or tv commercial. We have an unquenchable desire to wrap our 10 fingers around it and play with it, often testing its limitations. That is what I call the "Fidget Factor". This article will examine some of my personal observations as it relates to our desire to touch products before we put our stamp of approval on them and how we as marketers should carefully consider how they are presented or displayed.

First, a trip back to my tradeshow days is in order, as that's when I first observed that although our products were displayed inside glass display cases, the show patrons invariably had a insatiable need to touch the product even though they knew it was behind the glass. It was like watching confused monkeys in front of a donut shop window spraining their simian fingers as they attempt to poke through the glass, clearly not understanding the physics of glass. On the hour, we broke out our bottle of window cleaning solution and paper towels in order to remove the myriad of finger prints left behind. Due to this observation and despite the products costs, we removed the display cases and started using the cleaners on the products themselves and began to realize a higher rate of purchases.

Experiments with taste and how it relates to our other senses have revealed startling results such as a blindfolded subjects inability to distinguish an apple from an onion. Because the onion has similar shape, size, texture and crunchiness as an apple, those four factors dominate the taste difference when sight is removed. Our need to reach through the glass to feel the product is on par. It is our brain primarily Ignoring the barrier in quest of utilizing the remainder of our senses to say "hey, I like this thing". This is further evidenced by a recent visit to our local print shop. As I stood in line, the lady in front of me was ordering business cards & was obsessing over the perfect card stock. It wasn't adequate for her to just pick a color or the thickness of paper. She had to feel each sample as if she was reading brail until she finally found just the right combination of attributes. Afterwards, I enquired as to what line of business she was in? She replied "I sell cosmetics". I asked her why she picked that particular card stock? Her reply "It's soft, smooth & silky like my #1 selling body lotion and I want my customer to relate the two". She also explained to me that she wants her customers to be reminded of her products whenever they come across her card. She even goes as far as to sprays perfume on the cards as well.

Having been in the marketing business now for over twelve years, I found the same to be true with promotional products. Even though we may have hi-res photos of our products on our website & in our presentations, there's no substitute for our clients than to actually hold the product in their hands and fidget with it. I may have showed the client pictures of the product on several occasions, only to be met with an passionless response despite the perfect marketing theme or tie-in, but until they actually held the product, voila! It suddenly was not quite what they thought it was and began to feel right to them. We always provide sample items in all meetings and presentations and have better response from it.

Integrating touch to direct mail campaigns is also essential these days. The lumpy three dimensional mail approach or putting something odd shaped in your mailer is a very effective method to reaching the correct contact person or department. For many medium to large companies, the mail room is known to toss out more incoming mailers than what actually gets opened. With three dimensional, it tends to make it through the proper channels to the intended recipient more often. Once it arrives, the curiosity peaks when they first see the odd shaped package, but when they pick it up and begin to actually fondle it, they become like a kid at Christmas in anticipation of seeing what's inside! Once again, the desire to feel has taken over the other senses. More on this subject next time.


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