Chihuahua Marketing

April 30, 2009 in Branding, Usability
«
»

Have you been to the “new” Daily Juice on the northwest corner of 45th and Duval? You should. It’s gorgeous.

An auto mechanic used to be there if I remember correctly, and the smells, colors, and all-around groovy vibe make it feel like the absolute antithesis of the space’s former tenant. Last weekend I tagged along with Shannon to satisfy her sudden hankering for a smoothie.

The “wow”s started as soon we opened the door, and continued as our eyes repeatedly found new nooks and crannies to explore. We stood there for a while, pointing out different things and taking in their great attention detail, not realizing how quickly each person in the line in front of us was dispatched. Suddenly it was her turn and I watched as her head tilted back and her eyes open wide as the enormity of the menu dropped on her. Think Chihuahua at a dog park trying to figure out what the hell a Great Dane is.

The word intimidating really doesn’t do it justice. 40+ wittily-worded, delciously-described drinks beg you to pore over the ingredients of each one, but when you’re finished you’re no closer to knowing what you want.

Once I gave up on trying to pick something I might like, I noticed the “We Suggest” column. Each drink had a recommended $1-ish add-on to make the drink just a bit more perfect. It’s a genius way to up-sell when you have a lot of options, but it’s worth bupkis when you’re trying to just sell.

With a menu as daunting as theirs (and granted, DJ may not consider it as such), why not give customers a view that flips it around? Lead with the add-on that in turn sells the drink. Love hemp granola? Consider a blah-blah, blah-blah, or a blah-blah. Intrigued by raw pecan butter? Tough choice between a blah-blah and a blah. Sure, I’ll giggle at your clever word choices, but if I don’t feel informed enough to make a good decision, I’m less likely to buy.

And that, my friends, goes for $6 smoothies and $60,000 cars.

The next time you’re around Hyde Park, you should stop by and have a drink. The next time you’re visiting a site you manage, take the time to think about how daunting your menu/navigation/products might be to a visitor.

Sure, your nomenclature makes sense to you, but does it make sense to a Chihuahua?

1 Comment to Chihuahua Marketing

  1. Hey, you better not start blogging about food now….But your point is a good one. I looked up and down the menu and saw something with acai. I thought, “that was easy…that’d definitely be my drink.” And if I were at the front of the line, I would have ordered it. But the truth is, I didn’t notice the other drink with acai for a bit and would have liked that even better.

    Had they said, “if you like acai, consider…” my choices would have been limited from the get go. Or something like, “if you’re looking to be energized…”. Maybe even a step by step starting with a base flavor, add a liquid, add some crunch, add more fruit…or whatever, so you know you start with the base flavor and those individual lists look manageable. Categorization can go a long way.

    Nice post.

    2. Craftmafia on 3 May 2009




Leave a comment




Find Mark