A friend of mine turned me on to the shopping experience at 24hourwristbands.com. They make all those silicone bands that say ‘Live Strong’ or ‘Support the Troops’ or ‘insert your cause here’. But its not that the wristbands themselves that got me excited.
As you complete your order, you are asked if you would like the bands to be made in China, or made in America (for a $.15 upcharge per bracelet). That’s right. The user gets to choose.
I think this is brilliant. Giving users the option to buy american or not and showing them what the difference in cost will look like makes you stop and think about how much you value (or don’t value) where your products are made. And in most cases I would venture to guess that given the option, lots of people will shell out the extra fifteen cents to have it made here.
Moral of the story: Consumers are more concerned than ever where their products are made, and what they are made out of. Showing transparancy and providing information so that they can make informed decisions is a winning strategy. Quantifying what those choices mean for your own wallet and your community is even better.
So here’s my question to you – Would you pay a premium (or have you paid a premium) for goods that are made domestically? And would having the option make a difference in your purchasing decisions? Let me know.
On a similar note, I heard that Dell offers their customers tech support based out of California, rather than India or another country. Catch is, you have to pay a monthly fee (I believe it’s around $13.00) for that service. Difference is, you get to support American jobs. How many people would pay a premium for that kind of service? I’m not sure, but it seems like giving people the option would allow them to better understand just what “Buying American” means. Yes, it does mean paying more money, but it also means someone in CA keeps a full-time job and gives back to the US economy. I think it’s a win-win.
With both the wristbands and the computer support, I love that the companies are giving the consumers the option instead of assuming we would all rather have the cheapest product/service possible. I can’t believe I don’t see more of this. Having the option absolutely would affect my puchasing decision and the brand impression it sends is “this is a company who is progressive enough to empower its consumers to decide, even if giving them the choice is a tiny bit more work”. I like.
GREAT post Ryan. I’m really interested to see how this experiment will work, and how many more people will shell out the extra $0.15. I know I would.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this translates into every industry. The auto industry is a perfect example of one that just doesn’t get it: most american-made cars, I would argue, are in fact cheaper than their competitors. But the quality of the automobile is sub-par when compared with their imported counterparts.
I think, therefore, that in order for an “American Made” campaign to work, you not only have to equate the extra cost with being patriotic, you have to assure the customer that they are getting the same (or better) quality and you have to prove it. With wristbands, and perhaps customer service, that kind of task probably isn’t so bad. With something like automobiles…well, it might be more difficult.
Great comments, everyone. I really appreciate it.
Robyn, great example with Dell. I didn’t know that was even an option. Do you know if they market it as a ‘save american jobs’ product or more of a ‘get better service without a language barrier’ type product. I’m just curious.
Rachel (whom I should say is the one that showed me the wristband site), I couldn’t agree more. I think we’ll see more companies work towards giving us these options, from choosing where our products are mfg, to maybe even choosing WHAT they’re made from
Mariano – I also agree that it can’t work for every industry, especially when so many goods have component parts mfg. in several different countries. The auto industry is a great example. And you’re correct. You still need to Bring It when it comes to quality. I think patriotism only affects purchasing decisions to a certain degree. I appreciate your insight.
I would have gladly paid thirteen dollars for American Dell customer service, because then I wouldn’t have had to be on the phone for six hours. I am not exaggerating. Six hours.
Also, I will race any one of your imports with my Ford Mustang.
That’s the first I’ve ever heard of giving consumers the choice as to where their products are made. Of course you can purchase American made or Japanese-made cars, but making the product and adding the option of where you’d like to purchase it from is unique.