There I was, just washing my office coffee mug, minding my own business, when I glanced over at the drying rack and spied someone’s upturned IKEA coffee mug. It was so innocent, so green; and then I noticed a little adornment ‘ a slight depression in the base of the mug. This little depression was something I had seen in the past, but had not remembered until I saw it again this morning. The little depression was a brilliant design enhancement. Anyone who has ever washed a coffee mug knows that when they are wet, there is always a trough of water that rests atop the mug, regardless of how long it sits on the drying rack or in the dishwasher. This little recess in the bottom of the IKEA mug allows the trapped water to drain out ‘ leaving your mug nice and dry. Crisis averted. All is well in the world.
So why am I wasting my time writing about coffee mugs, you ask? Well, this seemingly innocuous enhancement that IKEA (and likely others) made in their mug design was a nice little addition to their otherwise standard mug. It is one of those niceties that goes above and beyond what you expect a company to do and what you expect a coffee mug to do. It is one of those things that makes you feel more proud of your mug and could potentially be a conversation starter with other folks. Now in this day and age of economic apprehension, it would be wonderful for more brands to adopt the ‘coffee mug’? attitude and try to determine the small, low-cost niceties that they can perform for their customers to help build loyalty and put excitement back in their products. If IKEA can make coffee mugs exciting for little or no cost ‘ just imagine what you can do with your brand.
