A product that can be used in public, and for all occasions, will certainly be seen more than a product which is used only in private.  For the purpose of this section, the WORST product is one which will normally be used in private, and will be used to relieve a condition of which the user is not particularly proud  (a good example might be a hemorrhoid cream).   The user of such a product will not be likely to spread the word about how well the product works.  Without people being able to SEE the product, and without word-of-mouth advertising, the product will require a much more expensive and extensive educational program that can send costs skyrocketing and prolong the product introduction period significantly.

The ideal product is one that is continually used in front of mass amounts of people and is being talked about favorably when it is not being used.

A product becomes visible through:

• Open use by consumers
• Open displays in stores
• Samples being displayed outdoors in strategic locations (high traffic areas)
• Effective packaging
• Advertising
• Promotional events, trade shows, public demonstrations, contests etc.

High visibility does not guarantee success but it certainly increases probability of success.  A product which is highly visible will usually have a shorter and less costly “product introduction period”, and will usually have less complex educational requirements since prospective buyers can learn from present users.

I recently bought a barn-shaped storage shed from a man who hand builds the units on your land.  His only advertising is the strategic placement, by the highway, of a few of his completed sheds.  He simply hangs a sign on them which reads “this building is for sale call….”.  When I finally had a need for a storage shed, I immediately thought of him because his product had high visibility.