Planned Effervescence

You’ve heard of planned obsolescence, right?

Producing products that fall apart, become useless early in their lives, forcing the customer to come back and buy again.

Bad for customers. Bad for the environment. Bad for the businesses that want to play the game right.

Now I’d like to abruptly talk to you about my underwear.

Planned effervescence.

I wear t-shirts.

When I open the package, they come out white. Whiter than white. Blindingly white.

And yet, when I open my undershirt drawer, it’s like I’m looking into a kitchen sink.

And not just because I might have left the plates from several night’s worth of midnight snacks in my dresser.

No! It’s my t-shirts! They are now a shade of white that might be described as “dishwater.”

Is it me?

I choose to think not.

It’s them. The t-shirt makers. It’s gotta be.

Let’s call it Planned Effervescence.

I’m positive they put a ton of whatever dyes and chemicals on those shirts so they are impossibly dazzling. And after a few washings, all that’s left is a paler shade of white.

My undershirt manufacturer wouldn’t be the first to conduct a little bait and switch type of business, where the first time you buy something, it’s amazing and works better than you’d expect.

And once they’ve got you hooked….

Why not use resources to make a better product, one that lasts longer, that has the attributes that are important not only to winning customers, but to keeping them. Keep the customer satisfied.

What do you think?

Have you experienced it too? And we don’t have to limit the discussion to my undershirts.

If fact, I’d prefer we don’t.

See you tomorrow!