There’s an old marketing story that gets passed around in business circles. A toothpaste company was struggling to grow sales. Every strategy failed - more ads, new packaging, even fresh flavors. Nothing worked.
Then, someone scribbled a note that changed everything:
"Make the hole a little bigger."
That tiny tweak meant people squeezed out more toothpaste each time. Sales exploded. Same product. Same tube. Just a smarter way to make you run out sooner.
When I first heard that story as a kid, I thought it was brilliant - clever, even admirable. Now, I see it play out in real life.
Recently, Estée Lauder made a subtle change to one of their best-selling serums. Not the formula. Not the bottle. Just the dropper - they made it a little bigger.
The result? You finish the product faster and buy more often. A small design change. A massive impact.
Smart? Absolutely.
Evil? Maybe.
Genius? 100%.
This is the quiet genius of marketing - finding ways to increase consumption without changing the core product. It’s psychology, design, and business strategy rolled into one dropper-sized decision.
Have you noticed? What other "genius" moves are hiding in plain sight?
