Yogurt…but make it sexy?
How relying on assumptions can result in an epic product failure
Fun Fact: What does Cosmopolitan magazine and dairy products have in common?
Answer: Sex….well, kind of.
Let me explain.
Decades ago, Cosmopolitan, the world’s bestselling women’s magazine covering all things sex, fashion, beauty, and horoscopes, decided to branch out. After a Cosmo survey suggested 65% of readers had used food in the bedroom (Marmite, 2011), Cosmopolitan wanted to capitalize on this trend with a risqué food item of their own. Their answer: Milk? Yep, in 1999, Cosmopolitan launched their own brand of dairy-based aphrodisiacs. These included a Cosmopolitan yogurt, Light Soft Cheese, as well as Fromage Frais. Soon the products were ready for consumers and hit the shelves of the dairy aisle.
Spoiler alert: It did not go well.
While just the fact that a magazine company started selling cheese and yogurt is a clue in of itself, let’s dive deeper to uncover why this brand extension was all but destined to fail.
Cosmopolitan misunderstood their user
Cosmopolitan took the findings of a seemingly general survey and ran with their initial assumptions without taking the time to research its validity. First, food in the bedroom can take many different forms. Without further user research, Cosmopolitan ran with the idea that cheese and yogurt must be prime bedroom appetizers. Gaining user insight through more extensive research may have helped them better understand specific user needs and goals.
They relied too heavily on piggybacking
Cosmopolitan gets major props for its long-term international success as the top women’s magazine on the market. However, this title may have been their undoing. Using their status to carry them over to the dairy market and expecting it to be an overnight hit just based on brand recognition was a bad call. This strategy, also known as “piggybacking”, made an already tough venture that much harder. “Companies seem to launch extensions because they think the parent’s strength can overcome any weakness in the product,” said Helen Wing, the director of the marketing science centre at Research International. “Extensions are born with silver spoons in their mouths, but the market is hard to fool.” (Brooks, 2004)
Market research was lacking
Brand extension can be tricky for any business. Therefore, solid market research is essential to setting a product up for success. Cosmopolitan Yogurt was set at higher prices than competing yogurt brands. The reasoning? This yogurt was meant to be “sophisticated and aspirational in nature”(Marmite, 2011). This may have missed the mark as to what the common yogurt consumer was after. It appeared the market was just as happy eating their average and predictable strawberry Yoplait.
So, how did this all end?
As one may predict, in just 18 short months, Cosmopolitan’s sensual dairy brand was no more. Falling sales ultimately led to its demise.
What can we learn from Cosmo’s mistakes?
As cringy as this epic product failure seems, it is an important reminder of how good quality research can save you a lot of pain upfront. Empathizing with the user, being humble in the product development phase, and knowing your market well are 3 major take-aways from the Cosmopolitan dairy debacle.
Don’t worry, Cosmopolitan got back on track. They even went on to sell bed linens which ended up being a huge success in Britain. It seems all mistakes are just valuable learning experiences.
Now to go grab a blueberry Chobani and find out the “50 Things Guys Wish you Knew”…
Resources:
Brooks, Stephen. “Spin-off brands ‘more likely to fail” The Guardian. Sept. 9, 2004. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/sep/07/marketingandpr
Marzipan and Marmite. “A Cosmopolitan Failure” Marzipan and Marmite. Nov. 9, 2011. https://marzipanandmarmite.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/a-cosmopolitan-failure/
Rodriguez, Patricia. “Highly Anticipated Inventions that Bombed Part 2”Herald Weekly. Jan. 21, 2021. https://www.heraldweekly.com/highly-anticipated-inventions-that-totally-bombed-part2/77/?xcmg=1
