If It Ain't Broke, Why Add to It?  Lots of companies offer add-ons for their products. (Think: a carrying case for a digital camera or a memory card for a computer.) But does that practice always have a positive effect? Or could offering an add-on actually cause consumers to question the intrinsic value of the base product? ("Why do I need something extra to make this item worth buying?")
To determine how add-ons influence consumers' evaluations of certain products, researchers conducted a series of experiments that categorized the add-ons in two ways:
- Alignable: the add-on enhances an existing feature of the product.
- Nonalignable: the add-on introduces a new capability to the product.
In one experiment, prospective buyers were shown a "new" digital camera, and the "sellers" focused briefly on four of its attributes, such as the zoom ratio. They then offered the customers a choice of alignable or nonalignable add-ons based on those attributes.
The researchers found that:
Alignable add-ons, which upgraded the camera's existing capabilities (e.g., a zoom lens), actually had a negative effect on the consumers' evaluations of the camera.
Nonalignable add-ons, which introduced new capabilities (e.g., a tripod), led participants to rate the camera more favorably.
The message to marketers? Touting product add-ons as improving or enhancing a product's features could actually backfire, and make that product seem inferior by itself.
The Po!nt: Add with care. When offering an add-on, make sure you stress how it brings a whole new capability to your (already great) product.
Source: "The Impact of Add-On Features on Consumer Product Evaluations," by Marco Bertini, Elie Ofek and Dan Ariely. Journal of Consumer Research, 2009.
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