The Art of Customization – Part 2

One example of an extremely valuable customized service is the one provided by three custom color.  I became aware of their service through a national fashion / beauty magazine several years back.  While I can’t remember the exact year, I know they launched their business long before the internet was up and running at full throttle.  So kudos to them for developing and executing such a clever idea the old fashioned way!

Three Custom Color’s (TCC) core business idea was to create a solution for the never-ending dilemma caused when your favorite lip color suddenly becomes extinct.  Just send TCC a smear of your beloved pinky-brownish-mauve on a piece of scrap paper and they will re-create the exact match for you, send you a couple of tubes and your formula stays on file for future reference.  Now that’s what I’m talking about!!!

You can pretty much send them anything – a crayon, piece of candy or inside of matchbook with a sharpie marker scribble.  If it’s a color, they can make it for you.

Men probably cannot relate to such a concept, but this is a service-oriented business that provides serious value to women everywhere.  Of course, this service garners a premium price, but for many women, it’s a small price to pay compared to the alternative!

A service that offers customized products has to offer the right mix of uniqueness, quality, convenience and value.  Intrisically, though, the biggest factor is trust.  “If you build it, they will come” won’t fly in this arena…