Stoke

Why Grape Jelly Rules!

by Dave Miller

from Communication Arts

 

Ask most people about the design of Welch’s grape jelly and they’ll probably respond with a benign, if not annoyed, “So what?”

If we’re confining the definition of “design” to the aesthetics of the Welch’s logo/label, then this grape jelly is a triumph of modesty. Purple. With grapes. (Not exactly a portfolio piece.)

But in its most elemental way, Welch’s grape jelly is testament to the design thinking that has begun to permeate organizations. Grape jelly was certainly a mature product category, with little meaningful opportunity to differentiate other than price. Then one day, someone – somewhere at Welch’s – took a moment to put the users of grape jelly at the center of decision making. (Outrageous!)

They began to use “design thinking:”

• Hey, kids make jam sandwiches, and a large glass container will break, if dropped.
• Ya’ know, large twist-off tops – glued in place with jelly – are difficult for small hands to open.
• Kitchen knives and three-year-olds are a bad combination.
• Placing sticky knives and lids on counters makes a mess.
• Towards the end of its life, you have to chase the remaining contents around the bottom of the jar with a spoon.

And so the simple “experience” of Welch’s grape jelly was re-designed:

• A plastic container can be dropped with no parental angst.
• A flip-top lid can be operated by the littlest fingers.
• Squeezable sides eliminate the need for knives. Like the lid, nothing grape-y touches the counter.
• A blade-shaped opening at the top spreads out the jelly, and still no need for a knife.
• A large, flat top and balanced shape permits the container to be stored on its head.
• No more scrounging in the container.

With one, swift design initiative Welch’s set the new category standard, increasing sales, share and margin. This design-led innovation fits well with Welch’s strategy to increase the demand curve for its products; getting people to love, want and use your products more over time. As a result, Welch’s revenue from new products averages some 22% per year, versus an industry average of about 12%.

More than ever, design thinking is driving business.