Product Diversity in the Selection Process

Decades ago, the idea of diversity in food products was unheard of.

It was never a matter of having variables. There was just on set product and everything came down to perfecting it. Even the questions that were being asked in order to perfect the product were standardized. And the best example of this can be found in spaghetti sauce. Way back when, there was only Ragu and Prego. Ragu was atop the market and Prego was struggling to keep. So, they hired someone to evaluate their product and line. His conclusion? There isn’t a perfect spaghetti sauce.

The other conclusion that was reached was that you need variety in the sauces. And it turns out, people were looking for a very certain type of sauce that was previously unavailable: chunky style. So, Prego gave the people what they wanted and made up lots of ground in the market.

The takeaway? When it comes to the competition and gaining a competitive advantage, don’t always try to perfect your offering. Adding diversity to it may be the best form of product and development. Watch the full video featuring Malcolm Gladwell for more.