Question

Quiz 5 (Chapter 10): Other than the examples contained in the book or the article of Gilmore and Pine (https://hbr.org/1997/01/the-four-faces-of-mass-customization), provide an example of a company with which you are familiar with brief explanations that is. (I expect you to define each customizer clearly and find one company from EACH category.)

An adaptive customizer (10 points worth)

A cosmetic customizer (10 points worth)

A collaborative customizer (10 points worth)

A transparent customizer (10 points worth)

Answer 1

1. An adaptive customizer – As we know that adaptive customizers offer a standard but customizable product. The product design allows user to alter it themselves as per their requirements.

An example of adaptive customizer is Nestle’s LaVie mineral water. Choices are provided to customers and this is based on standards that will suit their need. Nestle does not change the product nor the representation and bottles (small, big, large) are offered to meet specific requirements of customers.

2. A cosmetic customizer – As we know that cosmetic customizers make no changes in the product itself but make an adjustment in the representation of the product. In other words the standard offering is packaged differently for different customers.

An example of cosmetic customizer is Unilver’s Sunsilk shampoo. The shampoo brand offers shampoos in seven different packages and each package has a different color as well as smell. The core product is same and the ingredients are same in all the seven different packages.

3. A collaborative customizer – As we know collaborative customizers makes changes in products as well as representation and gives customers a precise offering so that their needs and requirements are optimally fulfilled.

An example of collaborative customizer is Nike. Buyers of Nike shoes can go to Nike’s website, design their own shoes using the colors and designs available on the website.

4. A transparent customizer – As we know that transparent customizers change the product but not the representation. This means that customers are not explicitly informed that the product has been customized for them.

An example of transparent customizer is Google AdWords. This online advertising service is changed for each customer depending on their requirement. However Google does not communicate this to the customers as representation remains the same.