Bond
FROM:
JOHN TO:
Mike DOE
DATE:
Sept. 20, 2011
SUBJECT:
Love Group Marketing
Methodology
At a local grocery store, I observed purchasers of peanut butter. I disregarded individuals who came and
browsed the selections, compared prices, and picked a product that was most suitable. These individuals
exhibited no loyalty to a certain product, so I didnt bother talking to them. Individuals that plowed
forward, only taking time to spot their product, and grabbing it without comparing it to other products,
were the obvious members of the love group. I approached these individuals and asked them more
about their selection process.
May I ask why you picked that particular peanut butter? So you buy this peanut butter every time? What
makes it different from all of the other peanut butters?
I listened to their answers and wrote down what they had to say about their loved product.
Findings
From the customers I observed, Adams Peanut Butter was most loved. The customers didnt amble
around perusing the other products. They came around the corner, spotted Adams, picked it up, and
went on their way without hesitation. They said that they always buy it. One customer initially said she
chooses it because it is part of her organic diet. Upon further questioning, she actually preferred it because
it had No sugar, no oils. Other organic peanut butters examined were found to contain sugar. Ultimately,
she didnt buy it because was it organic, but because of what was (or wasnt) in it. Another customer
didnt have an organic diet, but chose it anyway. She, too, chose it because of what wasnt in it.
Recommendation
Kate, the customer who doesnt have an organic diet, said the most capturing message that Adams
could use to market to the swing groups. In fact, Ive never considered purchasing an all-natural peanut
butter until I heard what she said. Even more in fact, I bought a jar of Adams All-Natural Peanut Butter
on my way out of the grocery store all because of what she said. It ignited a curiosity in me that made me
buy it just to see if Ive been missing something. When I asked Kate why she bought it, she said that it
Tastes like peanut butter instead of preservatives. When she said this, I thought, What does real peanut
butter taste like? Is my peanut butter just a jar of preservatives? I wonder how good it tastes. These
thoughts drove me to buy a jar of peanut butter that Id never buy. Im not in the swing group, either. Im
a dedicated, lowest-price purchaser. What Kate said ripped me out of my position, swung me through the
fence-sitters, and launched me into the love group. I took it home and tried it. Im glad to report that I
now know what real peanut butter tastes like. To J.M. Smuckers, owner of the Adams brand, this new
slogan will capture customers from more than just the swing group:
Tastes like peanut butter, not preservatives.