💡MFG #19: Kano Model, Brand Manifesto, Demand Capture, and more.
How to use the Kano model in product marketing, why brand manifestos are great, and why you should capture demand.
Hi there.
Welcome to the 336 new subscribers who joined Marketing For Geeks since the last issue. Big thanks to everyone who shares MFG with their network.
Quick update: I plan to publish this newsletter more often, so I am thinking of tweaking the structure. Here’s what I’d like to do:
Week 1: 1 interesting thing & 3 marketing insights.
Week 2: 5 standout marketing pieces & hot takes from the internet
Week 3: A Funnel Vision issue where I share the growth story of a successful African product or project.
Week 4: Actionable insights from the previous week’s growth story that you can use in your marketing.
ICYMI: In my last issue, I talked about offer types, MLPs vs MVPs, why paid social is for demand generation, and bouncing back from terrible reviews.
For this issue, I was supposed to share a case study on Selar’s growth, but that won’t be going out due to factors beyond my control.
In today’s issue, I write about how to use the Kano model in product marketing, why brand manifestos are great, and why you should capture demand.
Let's dive in!
🔑1 Interesting Thing
In the 1980s, a Japanese professor named Dr. Noriaki Kano created the Kano model. At the time, companies thought that customer satisfaction was linear; that improving any feature would lead to improved customer satisfaction.
Dr. Kano proved that better features don't always lead to better customer satisfaction. He noticed that improving some features had no impact on satisfaction, while some unexpected features that users hadn’t asked for had a bigger impact.
His research led to the Kano model, which product teams use today to prioritise features. But the Kano model isn’t just for product managers. It’s also valuable for crafting feature and product messaging.
The Kano model breaks features into 5 categories:
Basic Needs (aka Must-Haves): These are the minimum expectations a customer has from your product. For example, I expect to be able to make calls with my phone.
If these needs aren’t met, users will be dissatisfied. However, improving them won’t necessarily make users happier.Performance Needs: These features have a direct impact on customer satisfaction. The better they perform, the more satisfied the customer will be. And the worse they perform, the more dissatisfied customers would be.
For example, the more storage my phone has, the more satisfied I will be. The less I have, the less satisfied I am.Excitement Needs (aka Delighters): These are unexpected features that delight customers. The user might not even know they need them, so their absence has no impact on customer satisfaction. But if you have them, your customer satisfaction will significantly increase.
For example, FaceID on a phone is a nice-to-have feature. If it’s included, I’m thrilled; if not, it’s no big deal.
I wrote about the importance of delighting users in MFG #07.Indifferent Features: These are features that neither decrease nor increase satisfaction. Customers simply don’t care about them. For example, I don’t care what default wallpaper comes with my phone.
Reverse Features: These are features that actively annoy users. Customers are happier when these features are absent. For example, users might be annoyed by stringent verification processes.
What does this mean for your product marketing?
Basic Features:
These features should never be used as selling points, because competitors have them and customers expect them. Focus on using these basic needs to reassure users at the bottom of the funnel. At that stage, they want to confirm that your product covers all the essential bases. Your tone here should be reassuring.
For example, saying a fintech app is secure is nothing new — it’s a minimum expectation for a financial app. But on the payments page, you can simply reassure users that the transaction is secure.
Use in: BOFU content (e.g. feature lists, product descriptions, FAQs, tutorial videos)Performance Features:
The more you have of these, the happier customers are. Make a big deal out of announcing them. These are the features customers will use to compare your product to competitors. Highlight them boldly in your messaging, showcasing superior performance and functionality.
For example, when buying a phone, customers focus on performance features like storage space and battery life—not the color or default wallpaper. In your marketing, emphasize how your product stands out in these critical areas.
Use in: MOFU content (e.g. comparison pages, case studies, demos, testimonials).Excitement Features:
These are the secret weapons in your arsenal. Use them in your awareness campaigns to pack an extra punch. You may also use them as your value proposition depending on their impact on users and their rarity. They’d be especially loved by innovators and early adaptors.
Use in: TOFU content (e.g. ads, social media, brand experience)Reverse Features:
If you have these, skip them entirely. However, if many competitors have these and you don’t, you should harp on them.
For example, bank loans typically require exhaustive documentation and collateral. But most modern loan apps don’t, so they can lean on this heavily in marketing — “unlike others, we don’t require you to go through those annoying verification processes.”
I’ll skip indifferent features, because you should avoid emphasizing them at all.
Features evolve. What excites customers today can become a basic need tomorrow. For instance, touch screens were once a delight, but they’re now a standard expectation. AI is an excitement feature now, but in a few years, it might become a basic need. That’s why you should review your messaging often to make sure you’re in tune with trend shifts.
TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read): Use the Kano model for product marketing. Reassure that you have the basic features, compete with performance features, and attract with excitement features.
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💭3 Insights
#1. Demand gen needs to go along with demand capture.
Only a tiny fraction of your target audience is ready to buy at any given time. The majority of your audience isn’t quite there yet. But that doesn’t mean that you should only focus on in-market buyers.
Your out-of-market audience aren’t a lost cause. They just haven’t gotten to the trigger events that will get them to buy. But when their trigger moment arrives, you’ll want to be top of mind.
These customers will probably see your marketing, but they won’t be ready to take big actions, like paying for a plan or signing up immediately. That’s why you need to capture demand with a smaller low-effort action. You can then nurture them to get them closer to the trigger moment (or to just stay top-of-mind).
Here are some of the best ways to capture demand:
Freemium: Freemiums are arguably the gold standard for demand capture. A free tier allows you to engage users who are interested but not ready to commit. Over time, you can nurture them toward their trigger moment.
For example, I used Canva for years before hitting my upgrade trigger moment — wanting higher-quality images for my newsletter. Canva primed me for that upgrade by offering just enough functionality to hook me and strategically hinting at the gated features I'd only be able to access with the paid tier.Free Trial: For some out-of-market buyers, all they need is a chance to try your product. Free trials remove the risk for customers and lets them experience the value firsthand. It’s a simple but effective way to demonstrate how your product solves their problem, especially for buyers who are close to being in-market.
Subscribers: Even if someone isn’t ready to buy, they might be willing to subscribe to a newsletter, if it offers value tied to their interests. You can tailor your newsletter to their pain points, interests, or aspirations while subtly linking back to your product.
For example, a project management tool might offer a newsletter full of productivity tips. This keeps their audience engaged until they’re ready to commit to a solution.Events: Niche events—whether you organise them, sponsor them, or merely attend—are a great way to find your target audience. Registered attendees already have an interest in the event topic or industry. This makes them prime candidates for nurturing through newsletters or similar content.
Lead Magnets: Lead magnets are among the most popular demand capture tactics. By offering a free resource that your audience LOVES, you can capture their information while providing real value.
The best lead magnets are those your audience would otherwise pay for—something valuable enough that others charge for it.
Social media technically also counts as demand capture, but it’s limited because it’s rented media, not owned media. Your audience is rented from the social platform; Instagram could suspend your account and you lose the audience you’ve built.
But with freemiums, free trials, and subscribers, your audience stays with you. You have their information and you can move them if you wanted (e.g. from one newsletter platform to another newsletter platform).
TL;DR: Only a small fraction of your audience is ready to buy. Capture demand early with freemiums, trials, or newsletters to stay top-of-mind when they’re finally ready.
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#2. Make research very easy to respond to.
I enjoy answering surveys and participating in product research interviews. But I’m in the minority.
For most people, responding to research is stressful. It can take some time and there’s really nothing in it for them (unless you’re offering a reward).
That’s why you need to reduce the friction in your research as much as possible.
Tell people what to expect. Say exactly what the research is about and how long it would take. Make sure the form or meeting title give a hint to the topic of the research.
Avoid jargon or complex phrasing. Respondents shouldn’t have to reread a question to understand it.
Use research tools that are convenient for users. Users shouldn’t have to download a new app just so they can help you with research. If you’re doing calls, setup your Calendly to let participants choose their preferred meeting platform.
Allow for anonymous participation. Research is not a lead generation activity. If you happen to find new customers, that’s just a side attraction. If you’re collecting personal information (like email addresses or phone numbers), make those fields optional.
Stick to essential questions only. Long surveys often lead to drop-offs.
Don’t make respondents write unless it’s absolutely necessary. Stick to multiple-choice questions or quick rating scales. Even when you ask questions in communities, you can reduce friction by providing choices.
Here’s an example of recent research I did in a community. I realised that even typing “A” or “B” in the comments might be too much effort. So I used Slack emoji reactions to set the options. I got more reactions and comments on this than with previous questions that didn’t have the emojis. Use progress indicators to show how much research is left. Most survey tools have this anyway, but check just in case.
If possible, use logic branching to avoid asking irrelevant questions. For example, if someone says that they’re unemployed, you can skip questions about company name or job title.
TL;DR: Make research easy for participants. Use clear language, minimize effort with multiple-choice questions, and skip irrelevant questions with logic branching.
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#3. Your brand manifesto can be a differentiator.
I first learnt about brand manifestos 5 years ago, when I was obsessed with advertising and did a deep dive into vintage advertising concepts. Back then, advertising relied heavily on lengthy copy. Brands would take out full-page newspaper ads filled with text—and it worked. So brand manifestos were great ways for companies to declare their unique story and beliefs.
Today, the consensus seems to be that modern consumers don’t read. Whether that’s true or not, there’s still a segment of your audience who will read what you write, if it’s compelling enough. These are often your most passionate adopters, the ones who will go hard for you.
Brand manifestos are your chance to tell your audience why they should care about your product. The goal is for your target audience to read it and say “woah, that’s what I believe too” or “yes. that’s exactly how I feel.” You want them to see themselves in what you’ve written and align with you based off it.
Because brand manifestos aren’t direct conversion drivers, most companies put them off till they have more time to focus on brand-building tactics. Which is a fair approach
But you should lay the initial groundwork for your brand as soon as you can. That way, you’re already carrying early adopters along. Brand manifestos can also be a place to draw messaging from, helping you restate your proposition and differentiate yourself.
The perfect example of a modern company doing manifestos well is 37signals, the parent company behind Basecamp, Hey, and Once. Each of their products has a dedicated manifesto page. The parent company itself itself has dedicated its entire website to stating its manifesto.
37signals turn their values into reasons you should care about them. They take strong standpoints and try to attract people who also believe (or are likely to believe) in their points. Their manifesto says things that'll attract adaptors:
They have no investors or board of directors, so they won’t become sellouts.
They’re for the underdogs (small and mid-sized businesses and startups), not large corporations.
They’re anti big-tech so they' avoid predatory data practices.
Before reading Basecamp’s manifesto, I hadn’t thought about how tools like ClickUp and Asana deprioritize small businesses. After reading the manifesto, I believed it wholeheartedly. Similarly, I thought spam was just an unavoidable part of email. But after Hey’s manifesto, the problem became crystal clear—and Hey became the obvious solution.
That’s what amazing manifestos do. They make the believers feel seen and instantly align with your brand. They nudge the unaware to think deeper and slowly align with you.
TL;DR: A strong brand manifesto might not bring direct conversions, but it aligns early adopters, inspires messaging, and differentiates your brand in a crowded market.
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I'm speaking at LinkedIn Local Oyo this Saturday (November 14). If you happen to come, please say hi and ask for a Marketing For Geeks sticker🩷.
What I’m Reading
How to get the most out of mentorships — In this article, I shared tips to get the most out of mentorships, whether you’re the mentor or mentee.
Flo's Rise: How This Women's Health App Grew to Unicorn Status — A very comprehensive case study into Flo’s growth, written by Binjo Adeniran.
How to Improve Retention: The Ultimate Guide for Product Managers and Leaders — Long read, but great dive into how to improve retention.
5 tips to plan my career like I plan my product — I do most of these and it seems to be working. 100% recommend.
How to prioritize marketing activities & avoid random acts of marketing — Good guide on marketing prioritization.
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