Size Extremes Drive Appeal

Shaan Puri shares his observation about product size extremes and their inherent appeal to consumers, drawing from personal experiences and market examples. His perspective highlights how size manipulation can be a powerful product strategy.

Key Points:

• Product Size Psychology:

  • Anything miniature tends to work well with consumers
  • People are drawn to either extremely small or overly large versions of products
  • The appeal often defies practical logic (e.g., smaller beakers in science class being more popular despite holding less)

• Market Examples:

  • Mini Brands (by Zuru):
    • Miniature versions of famous brand products
    • Creates collectible versions of everyday items
    • Particularly popular among women
    • Relatively expensive despite small size
    • Sold in baseball-sized containers with multiple mini items inside

• Consumer Behavior:

  • People will fight over smaller versions of items even when impractical
  • The appeal works across different product categories
  • Size extremes can make products more appealing regardless of functionality

• Product Strategy:

  • Two successful approaches:
    • Make things extremely small
    • Make things extremely large
  • Either extreme can make a product more appealing than its standard-sized version

• Business Implication:

  • Size manipulation can be a simple way to make products more appealing
  • Can command premium pricing despite reduced functionality
  • Works across various product categories and markets