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Purple Cow
Case Study: How Dutch Boy Stirred Up
the Paint Business
It’s so simple it’s scary. They changed the can.
Paint cans are heavy, hard to carry, hard to close, hard to
open, hard to pour from, and no fun. Yet they’ve been
around for a long time, and most people assumed there
had to be a reason.
Dutch Boy realized that there was no reason. They also
realized that the can was an integral part of the product–
people don’t buy paint; they buy painted walls, and the can
makes the painting process much easier.
Dutch Boy used this insight and introduced an easierto-carry,
easier-to-pour-from, easier-to-close paint jug.
Sales went way up – no surprise when you think about it.
Not only did the new packaging increase sales, but it also
got Dutch Boy paint more distribution (at a higher retail
price!).
A few obvious changes in the can meant a huge surge in sales for Dutch Boy.
The obvious question: Why did it take so long
This is marketing done right. Marketing where the marketer
changes the product, not the ads.
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