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Yes, we're lazy. Yet we also can't seem to sit still. So we've started making things like GO-GURT. That's yogurt for people on the go. Let me ask you, was there a big mobility problem with yogurt before? How time-consuming was it, really? [pretending to be on the phone:] 'Hello?...Oh, hi, Tom...oh, I've been dying to see that movie...Umm, no...I just opened up some yogurt...Yeah, I'm in for the night...No, not even later-it's the kind with fruit on the bottom. Well, have fun. Thanks anyway.'

Ellen DeGeneres#8

ConsumerismMarketing

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker mocks invented problems solved by products like portable yogurt.
In plain terms
Companies create needs that didn't exist before.
What can you take from it?
Convenience products often solve non-problems.

Where it applies

  • shopping
  • product launches
  • advertising

Putting it to work

  • question needs
  • avoid impulse buys
  • analyze marketing

Questions to consider

  • Do you need this product?
  • What problem is this solving?

Another view

Some conveniences genuinely save time.

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