The original Post-It notes from 3M are a wonderful invention that solve real problems for home and office users. With the slogan “Make it Stick with Post-Its”, 3M plays on the idea of helping people accomplish and remember things by writing them down. Different sizes and colors play even further into our memory and associations.
Cumulatively, across hundreds of different Post-It SKUs, there are tens of thousands of reviews online. Channel Signal’s bad review calculator reveals that just one of those SKUs puts the financial impact of the negative reviews at $163,538.
Post-It is the “poster child” in doing just what it needs to do to mitigate that impact: quantify, fix and leverage. Here’s how:
1. Quantify Problems with the User Experience
Post-Its allow people to communicate thoughts quickly and effectively on any surface. Well, almost any surface. Although the original Post-It claims to have “2x the sticking power” to stick and re-stick on doors, windows and walls, feedback from consumers paints a different picture.
It was revealed that there are more desired uses for these stickies than just computer monitors and white boards. Construction workers and kitchen staff who work in more extreme conditions found that the Post-Its didn’t work for them. Cement, steel, PVC piping, wood, hot, cold and wet surfaces are all examples of surfaces where the original Post-Its didn’t hold (Entrepreneur).
2. Fix Problems with the User Experience
In this case, this means expanding its product line into a completely new audience. Last year, Post-It announced the introduction of Post-It Extreme Notes. This is a textbook example of audience expansion by addressing a customer pain point. What’s more, it still fits nicely with their motto, “make it stick”.
3. Leverage the Good
Now that Post-It has solved a problem and expanded its audience, it’s time to get in front of that audience. There are some great videos on their website that do just this, with the construction, food service and outdoor workers industry in mind. “Tailored for tough”, whatever this sticky compound is that 3M uses, it’s pretty magical! So is their formula for audience expansion.
The next step for 3M to bring this full circle is to analyze the feedback on the new product line to continue to quantify, fix and leverage.
https://youtu.be/IBSHaCyC-LU
Curious about quantifying, fixing and leveraging your own product reviews? Check out our bad review calculator or schedule a demo.