Mmmmm, Donuts. Or, Where’s Your Next Big Market?
Written on May 16, 2012.
According to Time magazine, Dunkin’ Donuts plans to open 100 new stores in China. Besides the usual – maple bars and glazed raised – the stores plan to sell pork donuts that will be endorsed by none other than LeBron James. Because basketball and donuts are – apparently – the Chinese version of motherhood and apple pie.
This made me laugh, but I got to thinking, it’s actually quite brilliant. Dunkin’ Donuts has probably saturated – no pun intended – the US market. Oh, they might be able to sell a few more twists and cruellers in some of the larger metropolitan markets, but if they want to keep growing, delivering shareholder value, and winning new raving fans, they need to look for the next big market.
China is a huge market, but what plays in Peoria doesn’t always play in Peking, right? So rather than spend years educating the Chinese market about the joys of a maple bar, Dunkin’ Donuts is offering a product they’re pretty sure the market will bear: pork donuts (and if you have had a bacon maple bar doughnut from Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, Oregon, you’ll know Dunkin’ Donuts is on the right track).
This can work for MSPs and IT consultants, too. Rather than forcing your customer to buy what you sell, how about selling what your customers want to buy? By offering new products that have some basis in something familiar – donuts filled with pork, for instance – you can expand your market much more easily. Maybe consider offering premium security services or taking further advantage of setup and configuration software in order to streamline customer PC activation. Or, maybe something even more out there?
Humbow or pork donuts? Wait and see business expansion or go make it happen market driver? Let me know here or on Twitter @Eric_D_Townsend.
Eric Townsend is Director of MSP and SMB Marketing for Intel Corporation. You can contact Eric at activation@intelmsp.com.
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