How Removing a Product Feature turned into a Benefit.

When a marketing person refers to a benefit, it is quite simply the answer a question; ‘what’s in it for me?’ Customers of any product only think in terms of what is in it for them. The truly great brands deliver the answer simply, clearly, and forcefully.

Adding features which become key product benefits is the life blood of marketing. Manufacturers keep adding features to their products to attract and keep customers. Service companies find creative ways to bundle products to keep customers happy. All this effort is to satisfy ‘what’s in it for me?’

In the car business, most vehicle customers only think of the purchase price of the car in terms of the monthly payment. They ask themselves ‘can I afford this payment?’. What if the loan or lease is extended another year? Will that make the payment more affordable? They do not think about the total price. They do not think of the operating cost. It is simply an evaluation of how the payment fits into a projected monthly budget.

In the rarest of instances, companies have found success when they choose to remove a feature. The absence of that feature turns into a product benefit. It is hard to imagine. The cost of engineering and manufacturing and marketing a product almost dictates that you include every possible feature you can. Otherwise the product is doomed to fail. However, the illogical step of removing a feature from a product does happen. When you remove a feature from a product, sometimes that lost feature becomes a benefit for customers. Most likely, that feature is unwanted or unneeded by your customers. Therefore, removing it may enhance how a customer feels about your product.

An Example

Many years ago, I attended an early stage briefing meeting to kick off the launch of the new Chrysler Neon. We understood the car was intended to be a breakthrough for Chrysler, a competitive entry in the cutthroat compact car segment. The Neon was intended to be very competitive, sell in good volume and deliver a profit to Chrysler. In the car business, compact cars are very unprofitable for most automakers. The precious few, like Toyota, Honda and Nissan do earn a profit by building serious volume. What little they make on each copy is offset by the number of vehicles they build. By limiting the available options and trim levels, car makers can keep the additional costs associated with model complexity to a minimum. With careful, prudent management a compact car could deliver a much-needed profit to Chrysler. More importantly, it would establish them in an important segment. The prevailing logic at the time indicated that compact car buyers tend to trade up into bigger more profitable models over time. Neon was to be the thin edge of that wedge. It was aimed at first time buyers looking for value. If they loved the car, they would stay in the Chrysler family when they needed a replacement.

This day a group of us eager agency staff sat through various briefing modules set up by the Chrysler marketing and engineering teams. Each module covered a particular topic from engines, to interiors, to option packages and trims. I loved going to these events, because I always came away with a renewed appreciation of how complex vehicle design and manufacturing really is. The modules were dumbed down by the engineers so we could grasp the information.

As we sat in the ‘interior’ module group, one of us asked the presenting engineer about some of the interior features. Chrysler had made not the inconsequential decision to offer the Neon with a unique combination of optional power windows on the front doors and crank windows on the back doors. Like most cars at the time, the standard Neon would be equipped with crank windows on all four doors. When a customer opted for the ‘power window’ luxury option, the Neon would come with power windows on the front doors only. Unlike every other car with power windows, the Neon driver could only control two windows, the driver’s side, and the passenger side. The rear windows only operated by hand cranks located on each door.

Upon hearing this for the first time, my mind raced through a couple of scenarios. A family of four is driving through a rainstorm. The dad rolls up his window and mom’s. Their children would have to roll their windows up themselves. What if they were infants and could not operate the crank? Dad would have to stop the car. Roll up the windows on each rear door manually then get back in the car, all while it was raining. What if older kids were just being kids and chose to roll the windows down repeatedly in the rain. You know, just to get dad and mom riled up. What then?

Research Supported Decision

Upon discovering this interesting choice of options/features, our group followed up with some pointed questions of this engineer. I think in hindsight, he knew the challenges he was about to face. We posed some scenarios like the one I just outlined. His calm response was to point out that the company had thoroughly researched this topic, and felt it was not a problem. Plus, the company would save more than a few million dollars by not including power windows for the rear doors of each Neon. There were engineering and design savings. There was also significant savings for manufacturing. Fewer components and less complexity meant lower hardware and assembly costs. We were all a little stunned when we digested the news. Looking at our group, I could see ‘is this really a good idea?’ written on their faces. It was certainly written on my face.

Fortunately for everyone, the Neon launch went very well. Consumers saw it was a very good car for the money. Starting in 1994, sales for Neon took off almost right away. The car was updated for a second generation that sold through 2006. Surprisingly, the second-generation Neon offered power windows on the front doors only, just like the original version. Customers seemed to overlook the power window deficit and embraced the bigger benefits of cute looks, roomy interior, peppy performance, and reasonable price tag. The Neon fulfilled its role for Chrysler, a competitive car line to complement their Jeep and Minivan line ups.

In retrospect, it was a courageous decision to remove power windows on the rear doors. No other car maker had done it. This was an example of the leadership at Chrysler during those years. They took chances. They did things that other car makers would not or could not do. Chrysler had turned a lost feature into a bigger product benefit for Neon, a product that lasted almost 12 years. People loved the car overall. They seemed to either overlook or embrace the removal of rear power windows as a practical choice that saved them money.

This is the rarest of instances in the world of marketing where removing a feature turns into a bigger product benefit.