Mass customization — where customers can tailor a product's appearance, features or content to their own specifications -– has been the "next big thing" for for a long time. As far back as 1970, the futurist Alvin Toffler predicted its emergence. Customization expert Joseph Pine published his seminal book in 1992, and the 2000 book Markets of One suggested that customization would change the fundamental structure of the American economy.
Yet for years, mass customization largely failed to take off. Worse yet, big brands have tried and failed with customized offerings. Levi Strauss offered customized jeans from 1993 to 2003 but f ailed to offer the kinds of choices to consumers -– like color -– that would have made the offering successful. Dell, once the most prominent practitioner of mass customization, flamed out spectacularly, saying that the model had become too complex and costly to continue.
But today, mass customization is enjoying a renaissance among big brands such as Kraft, Hallmark, M&Ms, Wrigley and the longest-running success, Nike. And a number of pure-play international startups selling products such as chocolate, jeans, mosaic tile, jewelry and cereal, are showing the value of mass customization to consumers and product strategists alike.
We're entering a new era in which mass customization will lead a number of consumer product categories, creating value for buyers and sellers alike. Here’s why.
Digital Technologies Will Turbo-Charge Mass Customization
Consumers' expectations are being shaped by their lives online. Customization plays a large and...
