Consumers did change!

There is always a new learning when I attend result presentation. Yesterday, I attended a presentation for our product test result.... And one thing that I learn that consumers did change.
We have product let's say A. A is the pioneer in the category. Before we launched product A 5 years ago, I got a result that product A failed in the test because consumers did not like the smell .... The active ingredient for product A smell different with existing product that consumers used at that time. Actually That smell was the reason for product A to be categorized in a new product category .... Because it has 'that active ingredient'. Though from the research we know that kind of product was needed by consumers. They just did not use to the smell of that 'active ingredient'.

Therefore, at that time the R&D person tried to reduce the 'active ingredient' in order to adjust with the consumers' expectation and with the understanding that actually consumers needed this kind of product we launched product A.
After we launched for some years, many brand follow and enter the category ...... They also use the same 'active ingredient'. So after 5 years in the market there are some brands already in that category and consumers seems to accept that kind of product and it should smell like that.

Last month, we did another product test in that category, and the result was presented yesterday. We all amazed that it seems the consumers are happy with the smell. If it does not smell like that, it was not that kind of product...... The smell become a proved of product benefit ..... Which 5 years ago, they didn't like the smell at all.

Well consumers did change their behaviour.