How To Create a Product That Stands Out

I’ve sold $100,000,000+ in branded products to date. Here’s how to create a product that stands out.

I’ve either developed or sold:

• Major consumer electronics in 1500+ retailers
• DTC fashion and accessories multi-million a year
• High 8 figures in CPG (consumer packaged goods) wellness & cannabis products

Today we’re going to focus on products for DTC entrepreneurs.

 

Why do brands fail?

Brands fail because their products don’t resonate. Drop-shipping products or ordering straight off Alibaba won’t get long-term success. You need to create a product that stands out from the crowd and draws your customer in.

Products that succeed need to be special. This is a mix of:

• Tangible factors (what the customer can see and touch) to optimize the product experience
• Intanglible factors (how your brand makes the customer feel) in a way that adds value to the purchase.

 

Use this list to create a product that stands out

• Start with your chosen product niche or category
• Pick 3-5 of these things, not just one
• Pick some of BOTH tangible and intangible
• Ensure you articulate the end benefits of these features to your user from their perspective in your marketing

 

USER EXPERIENCE

This is the #1 area to focus (and also the hardest)

Can your product solve something for a user that makes their experience in your category better than ever?

Examples:

• Theragun, working out body knots at home
• Bleame, making hair removal painless.

 

 

MATERIAL DIFFERENCES

Can using better materials make the product better, or more unique for a specific user group?

Examples:

• Arcteryx, using Goretex for true waterproof gear
• ROA, making shoes from Kudu which is ultra-strong and ages incredibly
• ATHR Beauty, vegan cosmetics

 

VISUAL STANDOUTS

There is a whole cottage industry of making products that just look good on social media or by comparison

Examples:

• Rimowa, the translucent iPhone case
• Yeti, the trademark turquoise container design
• A host of IG/TikTok products

 

 

NICHE DOWN

Whatever you’re creating, zone in on a smaller demographic– occupation, gender, race, background, region, belief system, taste etc.

Make a product that someone feels was really made specifically for them.

Example:

• Bumpsuit, fashion and jumpsuits for maternity

 

 

CREATE A FAMILY OF PRODUCTS

Many new products come out as one thing, which consumers can look at as “fly by night”. But a set of products that work together, and provide a roadmap to better solve the user’s pain points over time, is a differentiator.

Examples:

• Onnit health supplements
• Aesop luxury skincare brand

 

+ DIGITAL DOWNLOADS

This is extremely overlooked. If you sell a normal product, but add free digital content… You’re providing more value than the competition

Ideas:

• Sports equipment + 100 training videos
• Culinary equipment + recipe PDFs
• Camera lights + content tutorials

 

PEACE OF MIND – SOLVING THE PAIN POINT

Making products more reliable & sturdier solves a huge pain point for many products. Spend more to make your product extremely reliable.

Then back it up with a money-back guarantee 2x the competition, or even a lifetime.

Examples:

• Osprey hiking gear and backpacks
• Le Creuset hand-crafted ceramic and cast iron cookware
• Cutco knives and cutlery

 

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Especially for technical, complex, or very frequently used products, sell customer service.

If you have the same product as the competition, but you answer the phone immediately 24/7, you can win.

Example:

• Zappos retail store

 

VARIANTS & CUSTOMIZATIONS

Allowing your products to be customizable, and having many different versions (especially appealing to niches, licensing etc) gives brands a way to stand out by making customers feel like what they buy is unique to them.

Example:

• Frasier Sterling handmade jewelry

 

 

ESTABLISH COMMUNITY

Nothing helps a brand resonate more than an army of customers or fans acting as evangelists, and making new potential customers feel they’re buying into more than a product, they’re buying into a place they belong.

Examples:

• Soulcycle fitness gear
• Glossier skincare and beauty

 

If you’re looking to find the perfect product to launch, here’s my factory connects master thread on Twitter…

 

 

If you apply multiple of these principles directly to a great vendor, you can make something great.

 

Hopefully this got your wheels turning!

– Oren

 

Remember to subscribe, and follow along as I help my community bring new products to life on my Twitter Account. Join us and follow for more product creation insights

@orenmeetsworld

 

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If you’re interested in more insights on how to bring products to life, with direct links to factories and wholesalers, I write a newsletter to 1000+ product creators every week on my Product People newsletter.

 

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