Choice is simply the act of making a decision between a number of possibilities. It offers us the agency to do things how we believe we should, not how we must. Choice is an important concept in e-commerce, as in all facets of life, but it’s far more complicated than it seems. To unravel the mystery of choice, we first turn to Malcolm Gladwell.
In a TED Talk back in 2004, Gladwell explores the idea of choice in a way only he could — through the lens of spaghetti sauce. He introduces us to the man who made choice the hot new thing in the food and beverage industry, Dr. Howard Moskowitz. Back in the early 80’s Campbells approached Dr. Moskowitz with a problem regarding their premium tomato sauce Prego. They were losing market share to Ragu and needed a solution fast. Dr. Moskowitz got to work.
He started with 45 varieties of tomato sauce covering a wide range of attributes. While most individuals would slowly test these 45 options down to the best one, Dr. Moskowitz was pushing for a shift in thinking.
He wasn’t seeking the best sauce, he was seeking the perfect mix of sauces. The distinction is subtle, but also game-changing. This was the central tenet of what Dr. Moskowitz was selling — something we call horizontal segmentation today. It’s not about a single option, but a range of options that satisfy the different segments within the…
