P&G renunta la aproape 100 de brand-uri

Intr-un articol de vineri 1 august, FT.com anunta ca P&G renunta la pana la 100 de branduri. Aceasta mutare facuta de CEO-ul AG Lafley contravine conceptului sub care firmele din industria FMCG (si nu numai) au operat pana acum: cu cat mai mare si mai divers portofoliul de produse, deci alegerea pe care o poate face consumatorul, cu atat mai bine pentru consum.

P&G a invatat enorm in acesti ani si are curajul sa faca ceea ce putini indrazneau sa spuna cu voce tare inca inainte de criza: mai multe optiuni puse la dispozitia clientilor nu inseamna neaparat un consum mai mare.

Decizia P&G vine ca o concluzie a unei carti aparute in 2004. Barry Schwartz a publicat The Paradox of Choice si el combate ideea ca mai multe optiuni  inseamna o satisfactie mai mare. In prezentarea cartii de pe Amazon.com se spune ca:

[…] beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression.

In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice–the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish–becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice–from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs–has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse.

By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counterintuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on the important ones and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.

Intr-adevar, mai putin inseamna mai mult.

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