Every once in a while, I read or see a report about people asking the question, “Why do hot dogs come in packs of ten and hot dog buns come in packages of eight?” A couple of days ago, I heard a report on the question again. For the first time, I heard an answer that makes sense.
Hot dogs come in packs of ten because hot dogs packages are sold by weight, and ten hot dogs are a pound. Since meat is usually sold by weight, that makes sense.
Buns come in packs of eight because that is how the baking trays are structured. It is efficient for the baker to make the buns in multiples of eight, which makes sense, too.
Both the hot dog manufacturers and the hot dog bun baking companies follow what is standard for the industry.
No one thinks of the customers.
No one cares that the customer has two hot dogs without buns. If the customer buys two eight packs of buns and two ten packs of hot dogs the problem is compounded to four extra. If the customer buys one package of hot dogs and two packages of buns, the problem grows to six extra. The customer has no way to reconcile the discrepancy between the number of hot dogs and the number of buns.
This is a classic lack of customer focus. The focus of both the hot dog and the bun industries is internal, continuing to package the way that has always been done. Neither is paying attention to the customer.
“I’d love to be able to buy the same number of buns and hot dogs,” stated one woman who was interviewed for the report. “If that were available, I’d buy that brand all the time.”
Isn’t that a missed opportunity?
A company could be the first to offer the same number of buns as hot dogs or hot dogs as buns. Imagine the immediate first position in customers’ minds of a bun company that sold ten buns or a hot dog company that sold eight hot dogs. What if two companies did this cooperatively? A totally new category of “equal hot dogs and buns” would be created. That company or companies would control the new category.
Evidently, no company has seen the opportunity presented by this situation. Both hot dogs and hot dog bun companies are maintaining the industry standards and not showing concern about the customer.
While this is an easy example of internal focus rather than customer focus, more examples exist. Take a look at your industry and company. What are you doing which continues an industry norm with an internal focus, not a customer focus?
Hot dogs come in packs of ten because hot dogs packages are sold by weight, and ten hot dogs are a pound. Since meat is usually sold by weight, that makes sense.
Buns come in packs of eight because that is how the baking trays are structured. It is efficient for the baker to make the buns in multiples of eight, which makes sense, too.
Both the hot dog manufacturers and the hot dog bun baking companies follow what is standard for the industry.
No one thinks of the customers.
No one cares that the customer has two hot dogs without buns. If the customer buys two eight packs of buns and two ten packs of hot dogs the problem is compounded to four extra. If the customer buys one package of hot dogs and two packages of buns, the problem grows to six extra. The customer has no way to reconcile the discrepancy between the number of hot dogs and the number of buns.
This is a classic lack of customer focus. The focus of both the hot dog and the bun industries is internal, continuing to package the way that has always been done. Neither is paying attention to the customer.
“I’d love to be able to buy the same number of buns and hot dogs,” stated one woman who was interviewed for the report. “If that were available, I’d buy that brand all the time.”
Isn’t that a missed opportunity?
A company could be the first to offer the same number of buns as hot dogs or hot dogs as buns. Imagine the immediate first position in customers’ minds of a bun company that sold ten buns or a hot dog company that sold eight hot dogs. What if two companies did this cooperatively? A totally new category of “equal hot dogs and buns” would be created. That company or companies would control the new category.
Evidently, no company has seen the opportunity presented by this situation. Both hot dogs and hot dog bun companies are maintaining the industry standards and not showing concern about the customer.
While this is an easy example of internal focus rather than customer focus, more examples exist. Take a look at your industry and company. What are you doing which continues an industry norm with an internal focus, not a customer focus?
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