A Wren Says

It’s a golden beetle. Or really, it’s a decorative ring that adheres to a Carolina Herrera beauty product. There on your pressed powder, it sits making the product look even more beautiful on your counter. It’s just one of the ways that the brand treats their product design like jewelry. And there on the site, as I tried to learn more about the item was a 1 star review.

“The ring itself is very pretty … but unfortunately, it doesn’t do the one thing it’s supposed to do- stick to the back of the phone case so you can secure it and avoid costly falls.“

While I feel sorry for the reviewer who almost broker her IPhone when the product didn’t remain adhered, I have so many questions. How did you end up on this page, scroll through all of those images, and come to the conclusion that was what it was “supposed to do”?

One of my pastimes is finding reviews like these, where a customer is disappointed that a product didn’t do the thing it was never designed to do. But this one is a little different. To me, instead of an annoyance there’s an opportunity. What this misguided customer reveals is that there is a market for beautifully designed phone rings, with the Carolina Herrera aesthetic. Whether that means changing the glue to accommodate usage with phone backs or doing a completely different product line, the opportunity still exists.

Reviews are always a source of data. Whether they’re 5 or 1 stars, you get to learn what customers are thinking. Get in there and learn. You might just learn about a new gap in the market you could fill.