No Grills Allowed – how Weber lost women…and men
The final blog in our Extreme Makeover series on Genderblend™ design focuses on the Weber Grill brand that has very high recognition with both men and women. When their market shifted favoring gas grills, they not only lost market share to the emerging Asian imports, but in the process, they lost the iconic features that made Weber distinctive and more ergonomically and aesthetically pleasing to women and men.
Extreme Makeover Genderblend Features
Classic Weber Grill
Curve Appeal – The original Weber charcoal grill curved design is key to both its ergonomic function and its visual appeal to both sexes. The low height and ease of use of the circular shape is conducive to being able to reach all around the grill, allowing the user to move wherever needed to properly grill.
Heat Shield – Lifting the circular lid is easier for a wider range of arm lengths and body sizes. With the original Weber, the reach for the lid was only half the diameter of the grill size and it pulled it down in front shielding arm and body from the heat.
Fire Power – The curved form also lent itself to building a quicker charcoal fire. Gas grills still made lighting and maintaining the fire so much simpler, more like using a gas range in the home and less like camping. But the spherical bucket still had its advantages, out-performing the uneven flame distribution of the gas grill rectangular design.
Standard gas grill form factor is designed for the average male height and taller. If you are shorter than the average, you have to reach over your head to lift or close the lid with the underside of your arm directly over the heat and flames. For the average woman, the height of grill is right at chest level which makes for, shall we delicately say, “awkward” positioning trying to avoid getting too close to the heat and flames while grilling and opening or closing the lid.
Weber could have retained its high brand recognition if they had taken the time to analyze all that resonated with users of both sexes and built those features into their gas grill form factor. Instead of leading, they fell into the trap of catching up to the import market. Weber had the unique opportunity to use product design as a brand identity and differentiator in a market Asian Invasion, but instead their fire went out.
This Extreme Makeover: Genderblend case study might be similar to what you are struggling with in your marketing or product development group, so be sure to read our tips on how Genderblending™ bridges the Gender Gap and Parts 1-3 of Extreme Makeover Genderblend™ Edition for additional help.
