GOOD PRODUCT, BAD SALES? It’s all about framing

One of the most frustrating truths in business is this: you can have a perfectly good product – one that solves a real problem, meets a genuine need, and delivers on its promises – and yet, it doesn’t sell. You’re convinced you know your customer, you’re sure you’re scratching them in all the right places, and for whatever reason, it just isn’t taking off.

Why does this happen? Perhaps you really do have a crap product… but more often than you’d think, it comes down to framing. It’s not just about having the right product; it’s about showing your audience how that product fits into their lives, solves their problems, or fulfills their aspirations. 

In fact, history is full of products that struggled until their creators reframed them—finding the right message, targeting the right audience, or simply changing the way the solution was presented. 

Here are three examples where it wasn’t the product itself but the framing that made all the difference:

Marlboro: From Lipstick Stains to Rugged Cowboys

As a writer focussed on serving ethical brands and mission-driven organisations, there’s no better place for me to start than with a cigarette company. After all, as the saying goes, ‘Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer’.

I imagine you are familiar with the iconic red stripe that used to be on the top of the packets of Marlboro Reds. But do you know where this came from? 

Believe it or not, the American cigarette brand initially targeted women, marketing their cigarettes with a red filter to hide lipstick stains. In the 1950s, filtered cigarettes like Marlboros were considered feminine, alienating a vast swathe of the potential market. With sales waning and everything to lose, the marketing team, led by Leo Burnett, took inspiration from the ruggedly independent cattle herders of Virginia and created the now-iconic Marlboro Man.

A Marlboro advertisement, 1941, Marlboro

Softening the hue of their red filter to an orangey brown while retaining the red stripe on their branding, the cigarette company committed to the pivot of the century—from targeting elegant women to men who aspired to rugged masculinity and independence.

The result? Marlboro transformed from a struggling brand into a global icon, with the Marlboro Man embodying the rugged independence that resonated with millions. To this day, it remains the most profitable cigarette brand in the world, demonstrating the power of framing and identifying one’s audience.

Pedialyte: From dehydrated children to hungover adults

American readers are likely more familiar with this example than those in Europe.

Pedialyte was originally marketed as an oral electrolyte solution for dehydrated children, specifically those suffering from vomiting or diarrhoea. In short, it was a functional but niche product, limited in sales to a very specific demographic.

However, the company noticed that, alongside its target market, another unlikely group was picking up their product—hungover adults. Seeing an opportunity, they leaned into this trend, promoting Pedialyte directly to young adults on social media and highlighting its efficacy as a hangover cure. They even physically repositioned the product, placing it in off-licences and other locations frequented by this new audience.

Pedialyte’s newfound audience was considerably different to who they traditionally served. Pedialyte

By listening to the unexpected behaviour of their customers and adjusting their messaging and distribution, Pedialyte didn’t just expand its market—it transformed it. And today, one-third of their products are purchased by adults.

Febreze: From sci-fi to habit

If you need to get the smell of last night's cigarette out of your curtains while nursing a cold glass of Pedialyte, Febreze is just the thing for it…

Launched in the late 1990s, Febreze was marketed as a revolutionary odour eliminator. Unlike traditional air fresheners, which masked smells with heavy fragrances, the chemicals in Febreze actually neutralised odours at their source—yes, really. And yet, sales floundered.

The problem? Many consumers didn’t think their homes smelled bad. People become accustomed to smells over time and so were not able to detect the kind of smells that the products eliminated. At best, they didn’t think they needed it, and at worst, making a purchase was too close to an admission that they had a stinky house that required a drastic purging.

Febreze’s parent company Procter & Gamble pivoted. They shifted focus from the science of odour elimination to positioning Febreze as the final flourish in a cleaning routine—a satisfying celebration of a job well done. Scented versions were introduced, giving users a way to signal cleanliness to others. And over time, people began to associate the act of using Febreze – and its distinctive scents – with the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing their cleaning.

The result? Febreze became a household staple. 

The moral here is that even when your product does something seemingly miraculous, the framing is still essential. It’s not just about what your product does, but how it fits into your customers’ lives—and, perhaps most importantly, how it makes them feel.

Why Understanding Your Customer is the Key

These reframing exercises succeeded because they all had one thing in common: a deep understanding of the customer. Love them or hate them, these companies didn’t just guess what their audience wanted—they dug deeper to uncover who their customers really were, what they valued, and how they made decisions.

To achieve this kind of success, it’s essential to do the work to find the answers to three key questions:

• Who is your customer really?

• What truly motivates them?

• How can you frame your product or service in a way that resonates with their needs?

Once you know what makes your audience tick, you can craft messaging that doesn’t just speak to them—it lands.

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