For our Creative Brief, we chose to research Tide detergent. We chose this product because it is a widely-known brand that many people use. From our secondary research, we learned that Tide’s primary target market reaches people ages 18-54 but for our primary research ethnography, we only observed college-aged people. While there were slight variations in college students’ methods of using this product, our observations seemed to be a good representation of how the whole target market would use the product.
Before observing others, we used the product ourselves. We both already used Tide detergent, although we use different variations. Ceci uses liquid while Kelly uses Pods. It appears that the only difference is the presentation of the product but both variations work equally well. They both have simple instructions that are relatively similar, no matter the product (pods or liquid). We both agree that the container of the liquid detergent is noticeably heavier than any other product so Kelly decided to use Pods and Ceci uses the liquid container with a spigot on top of her washing machine for easy dispensing. To insure that detergent is mixed thoroughly throughout the wash cycle, we both put our detergent in the bottom of the washer.
We reached out to fellow college students and inquired as to which detergent they use to clean their clothes. Of the ones who use Tide, we requested permission to observe them using the product in their normal routine. We observed four members of Kelly’s sorority, Ceci’s boyfriend and another close friend in their use of Tide products.
All of the participants were college-aged people ranging from 18 to 24 years of age and only two of the six observed were male. Our observations occurred over a weekend even though our participants reported having variable laundry schedules, often late at night. Every participant lives away from his or her parents and is therefore able to make his or her own decisions. Through interviewing all of them, though, we found that they are still influenced by their parents’ purchasing habits from when they lived at home. We asked every participant if they use the brand because their parents do and got a unanimous “yes.” Some participants have tried other brands but keep coming back to Tide because of the price and its original scent.
Most participants also commented that they like to use Tide because it’s convenient for people with a busy schedule like college students. A majority of our users said that Tide detergent has been a part of their laundry routine for quite some time. While they demonstrated the product for us, they appeared nonchalant and handled the product expertly. These same participants also reported being happy and satisfied with how fresh their clothes smell after using the product. So while their happiness is not obvious while they are using the product, the results that stem from the product do make them happy. Nothing out of the ordinary is required to use the product. For the liquid detergent, a measurement cup is provided as the lid to the container and the Pods are pre-measured. Aside from detergent, simply a washing machine, a water supply and typically, a laundry basket were also involved in the process.
In every observation, the product was used in a separate room dedicated to laundry. All of the participants had a washing machine inside their homes and for five of the six participants, it was located in the basement, while one person had it in his bathroom. The typical routine involved moving the laundry to the machines, often inside a laundry basket. One person had to take an extra lap around his apartment to pick up spare socks and shirts that did not make it inside the laundry basket. The participants then proceeded to put the detergent and their clothes inside the washing machine. The order that these were added varied. Most participants added all of their clothes to the machine with little discretion. Jeans and delicates were sometimes set aside for a separate load, but those who did admitted that they had washed them all together before. The machine was then closed and started by turning a dial or pushing a button on the face of the washing machine, then left alone. The entire process usually took about an hour, with 30 to 50 of those minutes as part of the wash time. Collecting clothes and transporting them to the laundry machines took between five and ten minutes and the interaction with the Tide product was less than a minute.
We found, through observation, that there is not much variation in use of detergent. Each participant puts the detergent in and starts the washer without much thought. Some put the detergent on the bottom and some on the top but in the end it gets the clothes clean no matter the placement. In the sorority, each user keeps their detergent in their bedroom. We found that this was atypical based on our other observations where the users kept the detergent in their laundry room. When asked why the sorority girls keep the detergent in their rooms, they all said it was to keep it separate from everyone else’s laundry detergent, but would keep it with their washing machine if they lived with less people. Aside from our aforementioned variations, all participants use the product for the same purpose.
From our observations, we discovered that there was a strong parental influence on college students’ detergent choices. Every participant admitted to having a parent that used the product at home which were unexpected odds, to us. They were motivated to use this product because it is easy to use and is a well-known brand that they have been taught to trust. Over half of the participants complained that the liquid detergent was hard to use because of its weight, and had considered other products because of this fault. This negative aspect of the product is remedied through use of Tide Pods or the easy dispensing spigot. Although their parents tended to be the reason they used Tide in the first place, the scent and convenience encouraged them to buy the product again. In conclusion, the product was widely used in typical fashions and all users seemed satisfied with its results.
Kelly Davis 