Mass Customization

This is the final theme from our original introduction to Market America and it's seemingly composed of two contradictory ideas. Mass production is a powerful method of manufacturing large volumes of products at a low price. It's what makes it less expensive to buy a sweater that's fresh off the assembly line than one that's hand made.

Henry Ford introduced mass production to America in the form of assembly lines. He made automobiles available to the masses and was famous for telling his customers that they could have one in any color they'd like "as long as it's black." Other than being amusing, the point of telling you is this: while the assembly line makes products less expensive, it also makes them all the same. For today's spoiled consumers, that's simply not enough.

Of course there is always the other extreme of completely custom orders. Companies that offer these services cater to the top end of the market. The products they offer are exquisite, but they are also expensive and often take weeks to arrive. If you're one of the lucky people who can afford this luxury, great! If not, read on.

Mass Customization falls somewhere between these two options. Rather than making products completely from scratch, it uses increasingly adaptable technology to offer individualized products at a mass production price. Think of it like Legos™ - the components are uniform, but the combinations are endless. It sounds good in theory, right? Well, let me give you some examples to round out the picture:

Custom Blend Foundation
Okay, so this part won't exactly thrill most guys, but the women out there will understand my interest. Let's say that it's May, and you just spent half an hour going thru foundations to find the perfect match (and you're lucky if you get that far). You look great, and you're thrilled. Well, at least until that weekend on the beach darkens up your skin a bit. The next week, you put on that same foundation and look in the mirror. Your face looks great, but now there's a distinct line between your chin and your neck. Lovely.

Enter Custom Blends by Motives. This foundation is mixed to create a shade that perfectly matches your skin tone, even if that's a moving target. Your Motives consultant will not only mix your first batch for you, she'll also teach you how to make those ongoing adjustments on your own. Pretty cool, huh?

Gene SNP

This one will appeal to both genders, so the guys can resume reading :-). Health and Wellness products are everywhere these days, as anyone who hasn't been hiding under a rock well knows. One day it's red wine, the next day it's chocolate. Right now, Omega III and Glucosamine are very popular. I believe that each of the products out there has helped someone, but that doesn't mean that they'll help you and me. Each person is as individual as their fingerprints and DNA, which means that each person needs different things to achieve optimal health.

The Gene SNP is a DNA test that's performed using samples of cells from inside your mouth. For about $300, the premier DNA screening lab in this country will analyze your DNA and send you a customized report all about you. The test will tell you what you're hardwired to produce enough, not enough, or too much of in terms of enzymes and vitamin absorption. Based on the results of the test, you can then take a targeted approach to your health instead of carpet bombing with supplements you may or may not even need. Another good thing about DNA is that it doesn't change - your results will remain valid throughout your entire life. Now as far as customization goes, you can't get any more individualized than that! Once you receive your results, you can even order all of the vitamins and supplements you need from a single source. They will be custom packaged and loaded into a one month dispenser, so all you have to do is open a single package each morning and get everything you need.

I've given you two examples to mull over, and hopefully you've gained a better understanding of what Mass Customization is and what it can do for people. Now that we've covered the four basic components of the Market America business model, we'll move on to the actual implementation.