3 Ms of Custom Product Offerings
Custom experiences give brands a unique edge, simply put. Oftentimes, operational problems arise when demand increases for the custom good, so companies turn to mass manufacturing. But how can you mass manufacture a quality custom product without pulling the strings that come along with it and lose the experience along the way? We will be exploring how this is possible with a case study of the custom ice ball press product that we custom manufacture and sell internationally.
3 Ms of Custom Products
- Modular. This term can be used the way Eli Whitney used 'Interchangeability'. For us, it didn't make sense to re program the machine to make custom shapes, so we looked at each step in the manufacturing process to choose where exactly we could build in a unique drinking experience. Since our product is metal, we turn to laser engraving custom logos on ice presses to create a customer experience that's truly one of a kind. The size of the engravable area is fixed, so graphic designers are quickly able to transfer artwork onto the press in the shortest time possible. This is what allows is to keep up with demand without sacrificing quality. We spend time in training so that our team can deliver custom ice presses in volume and on-time
- Marketable. It has to be easy for your audience to understand and customize their product. When it's time for your customer to checkout, or provide files, it can't be a hassle. The customizable ice ball press product offering on our website is a simple process. Without it, the custom ice sphere maker would be abandoned in the cart instead of being high end barware on display for friends and family to appreciate. All our customers that are interested in the customized ice press need to do is choose a template or upload a logo when adding to cart and our team takes care of the rest.
- Meaningful. The product has to mean something to the person that's buying it at the end of day. If your product is a perfect gift that memorializes a special occasion, then give your customers the ability to put names, dates, really anything they want. With the ice ball press, many of our customers buy for custom wedding gifts or graduations, so the date is very meaningful. We support that with the ability to engrave special dates into ice press and it will last forever. The key is to be able to do this at scale from the business size of things, so pick how you give your customers a meaningful custom experience carefully!
WHY A CUSTOM PRODUCT OFFERING IS IMPORTANT
Being able to provide a premier product against your competition is the key to market share. Ice presses typically aren't able to be customized, but some companies in more recent years have been expanding their product offering. To be competitive, and different than most, we had to build customization in to the supply chain - and it pays dividends in the short and long term.
Why did Pressice do it? We knew that we weren't the only gig in town. Being a new brand in an age old tradition of ice pressing, we needed to have a differentiator. By building custom logos and custom designs into the ice ball press from the get-go, we are able to scale with demand. It has helped us provide reasonably priced ice machines to our customers, with engraving only adding marginal cost. This was important to our customers, and we've been able to grow the brand and product because we listened.
Checkout this short clip to see how we highlight the customization options available for our Ice Press Kit.