I hadn’t really thought about bundling for a while until I recently went into a McDonald’s for a quick snack. A few minutes later, I walked out with a grilled chicken wrap—only 270 calories and pretty decent—but not before taking the opportunity to observe all the tidy meal packages being offered.
On a less prosaic level, Ivan Levison, copywriter extraordinaire, wrote in his April newsletter of an Englishman bundled up his entire life for sale—beach walks, summer sunsets, a charming cottage, and a local ice cream parlor—all the ingredients for an idyllic existence.
Bundling is instinctively appealing, which is probably why it’s had such a happy home in marketing for so long. Consider the ease of buying a PC that’s preloaded with all the software you need to become productive immediately. A “spa day” where for a single price, you can enjoy a massage, facial, and manicure/pedicure. A spring tune-up and oil change special at the dealership down the street. Or a “prix fixe” pre-theater dinner at a lovely French restaurant.
As Mr. Levison points out, there are distinct benefits to bundling. You make it more difficult and less rewarding to compare the prices of individual items in the package with a competitor’s. You provide a complete, ready-made solution. You make value easy and understandable. And, of course, you increase revenue per sale. What’s not to like?
Those of us who run service businesses may need to exert some creativity to come up with bundles, but it makes sense to give it a try. I’d be interested in what you’ve come up with.
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