Quick Read: With most products in any given category tending to have total functional parity, the only way to drive trial could possibly be through a singular route – curioisty.
Often times I am curious why “curiosity” doesn’t even figure in the classic purchase funnel.
In fact I tend to believe that without inciting a threshold level of curiosity in a consumer, awareness and consideration could end up proving to be moot pursuits.
Let’s take Kaviar. (or Smörgåskaviar to be specific)
Kaviar is a Scandinavian spread – a paste consisting mainly of lightly smoked cod roe that has a salty/sweet/fishy taste and a gooey pink/orange colour. Packed full of omega-3 goodness, kaviar can be eaten at anytime and practically spread on anything edible – breads, eggs, meat, cheese etc. (source)
(Source: Mills Kaviar)
No wonder the Scandivaians swear by them, with the category that is sufficiently crowded with brands like Mills, Stabburet, Kalles, Kavli etc battling out for market share by commanding fierce loyalties.
However kaviar supposedly has one catch – it is an acquired taste and a first timer might find the taste disgusting.
Now that’s where the Kalles Campaign proves to be a genius. (Kalles is a Swedish Kaviar brand)
The campaign holds a mirror to other nationalities’ incomprehension and their reaction at having something that tastes – let’s just say – strong and funny.
It starts with Los Angeles where obviously the Californians don’t hold back their feelings upon tasting something weird.
“It tastes … ” a serious looking man in a tie says. “It tastes … ”
“Fantastic?” the Swede asks.
“No,” the Swiss man replies, with a resolute firmness.
The Costa Ricans laugh and gesticulate.
As this NYTimes article says, if nothing else these ads are a whimsical cultural excursion into manners.
Now, can anyone get me a Kalles Kaviar please?
I want to try my own gag reflex.
I am really curious!
Now, where am I in the purchase funnel?
(Featured Image Source: My Guilty Pleasures)
Riffs on technology, marketing & culture 
I have to ask you to change …. some details … Kalles is SWEDISH!!!!! Very Swedish.
Wow,what a great post … about one of the most Swedish food products there is … You you have to be aware of that it”s a very Swedish taste. You can get a close thing to Kalles … through Ikea’s own brand.
Thanks for the link to my post. Please, change the nationality of our beloved Kalle.
Duly updated 🙂 Thanks for pointing out. I love your loyalty to the brand!
I’m Swedish I have lived aboard 23 years of my life … and Kalles and Zoega coffee, was the only thing I really missed. So I stocked up every time I visit Sweden, in those days IKEA had Kalles, but now they have only their own brands.
Haha! It makes you realise how accustomed we all are to the tastes we grow up with
the advertising angle is brilliant. Funny, yes acquired tastes are part of culture. I might maybe be tempted to taste the rival IKEA brand but not all that sure 🙂
Funny post. Now I’m curious:) Wonder how many times you have to eat Kalles to love!
But good marketing! YouTube is such a great platform.
Good marketing for the advertise campaign
I don’t think the funnel is flawed. That’s of course a nice click bait headline. Still you have a point. Curiosity is one of the few things that move a customer from one phase of the customer journey to the next. I also wondered why a lot of marketers are not aware of that. There are tons of tools to help you in this regard. Sampling being one of the easiest. Free trial or coupons have been used for ages. I love this new take on it using social media! Thanks for the post.
Thanks for the comment Pascal! I really do think ‘curiosity’ as not just a means, but arguably even as an ‘end’ deserves its place in the purchase funnel. Many brands typically use that as a tactic and not as a longer term pursuit.
For e.g., AXE does this very well – as a strategy. Every year it has a new generation that it recruits and a generation that it loses. So it is always on a high alert to create newer and more relevant narratives to create curioisty among their new cohorts about the product, the category and the benefits.