How the Road-Crossing Chicken Applies To Business Decisions
I’m sure you’ve pondered the age-old question: “Why did the chicken cross the road?”
But have you ever considered the consequences if the chicken never validated its reason?
Just like our feathered friend, many businesses eagerly cross the metaphorical road without first checking for oncoming traffic — or, in marketing terms, validating their offers.
And oh, the blunders that ensue.
We’ll get to a couple in a moment, but first…
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Let’s take a trip down memory lane…
The Ford Edsel:
Named after Henry Ford’s own son, this car was supposed to be the automobile of the future.
Ford sank more than $400 million (in 1950s money) into its development.
But despite the fanfare, the Edsel flopped.
Why?
Ford never bothered to check if people actually wanted a car that looked like it was sucking a lemon.
The cost of not validating?
Millions down the drain, and a lifelong joke in the auto industry.
New Coke:
Ah, the sweet taste of… rebellion?
In the ’80s, Coca-Cola decided to revamp its age-old recipe in a bid to outshine Pepsi.
The result?
Public outrage.
People literally held protests demanding the return of the original formula.
Coca-Cola quickly backtracked, but not before learning a costly lesson about the dangers of not listening to their customers.
Sure, these are massive corporations…
But the principles of offer validation apply regardless of size.
Even a lemonade stand can fail if it doesn’t validate whether the neighborhood kids are more into apple juice.
So, how do you avoid becoming the punchline of a bad business joke?
- Talk to Your Customers: Before launching a product, conduct surveys or interviews. Understand their pain points, desires, and needs.
- Test Small: Release a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or a pilot service. Gather feedback and iterate.
- Analyze the Market: Understand your competition. Know what’s working for them and what’s not.
Now, let’s get AI to pitch in!
If you don’t know it already, I’m on a mission to help you harness the power of AI in your endeavors.
So here’s a prompt to refine your offer validation process:
Act as a seasoned Marketing Expert with a focus on Product Validation: Your main task is to check how well a new product or service might do in today’s market. Look into current market changes, see what competitors are up to, and get feedback from potential buyers.
Product/Service Evaluation: Start by understanding the main idea behind our product or service. Point out any possible challenges or areas that need improvement. Then, give a step-by-step plan on how to test the product, gather feedback, and make changes based on that feedback.
Begin by asking me to describe the product or service in detail, making sure you understand its main benefits, who it’s for, and how we want it to stand out in the market.
The world is riddled with products and services that seemed like a good idea at the time but ended up as epic faceplants.
But remember, every faceplant is an opportunity to get back up, dust yourself off, and say, “Let’s validate the next idea before taking the plunge.”
So the next time you’re about to cross that business road, pause.
Look both ways.
Check for traffic.
And always, ALWAYS validate before you leap.
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