Marketing Commodities

Here’s a good example of taking something that is generally seen as a commodity and turning it into a reason to buy.

From Seth Godin…

I got a soccer ball in the mail today. As far as I can tell, it's just like any other soccer ball.

Except it's not.

It's not... because it's from Fair Trade Sports. They only use adult labor (which shouldn't even be necessary to say) and they donate after-tax profits to kids' charities.

Does it change the way you play soccer? Probably more than you know. Does it change the way the balls get sold? Of course.

A commodity is only a commodity if you treat it as one.

Are there ways to take tax returns and financial statements, generally perceived as commodities, and make them into something worth paying money for? Of course there are ways. This is what I’ve spent 15 years working out. What I’ve determined is you don’t sell the product.

In the case of Fair Trade Sports, they’re selling the way the ball is made and the feel-good aspect that child-labor isn’t involved. They are also taking a stand on human rights and community relations. They’ve made buying the soccer ball into a way to give back to the community and make a statement on child-labor practices.

In accounting, we sell peace of mind and comfort. To us, it’s all about the relationship with our clients, our team members and our community. If we aren’t serving those three constituencies properly, we are going to fail as a business. It’s as simple as that.