What happened: This past week Le Whif introduced the first breathable, organic chocolate and coffee. According to its creator, David Edwards, a Harvard professor, “Le Whif uses particle engineering to form chocolate in particle sizes that are small enough to to become airborne though too large to enter the lungs.” Flavors include pure chocolate, raspberry chocolate, and mint chocolate with coffee to be introduced later this month. Food and packaging tester, Barry Silverstein tried out Le Whif and found out for himself. He reported that Edwards says Le Whif Coffee “offers the kick of coffee without the cup,” since it contains an amount of caffeine equivalent to an espresso. For Silverstein, the experience left him unimpressed. And it’s pricey at over $2 per canister.
For a video review of this product you can check it out here:
Why it matters: This is a great example of what happens when a marketplace is not researched before a product is produced. Despite the many firsts the company can claim, first to be able to inhale, all organic in a tube, etc., the product experience is fleeting at best with a price point that bars it from entry into the mass market it was designed for. Although this is an extreme example, it serves as a perfect case study of what not to do when introducing a new brand. Smart marketers know a great product starts with the interests, needs and wants of its intended customer. This one is sure to find few.