The January Twin Cities Business magazine reported “A Real Good Marketing Experiment” that I found intriguing. Minneapolis-based Blu Dot Design and Manufacturing researchers abandoned 25 of their Real Good chairs on New York City sidewalks. See the results in this very entertaining eight-minute film.
“Once in a while you find some really good stuff.”
– A ‘Punko’ (scrounger) in the Real Good chair experiment.
In our suburban neighborhood we put out furniture and tape a sign on it that says “Free.” Whenever I’ve done this, the item has disappeared. A few times I’ve spied a person carting it off, but most stuff goes off with the garbage, I guess.
I suggest that the next time Blu Dot tosses out chairs they do a proper design of experiment (DOE). The measure of success will be how long it takes for a particular unit to be scrounged. The experimental factors will be color and various design elements. Of course the chairs must be laid out according to a randomized plan.
Stat-Ease performed a very simple, but statistically powerful, experiment on the chairs it considered for purchase in a new training room. See the details in this lead article of the June 2002 Stat-Teaser newsletter.