价格越便宜越好卖？未必
English summary available ↓
Over dinner a senior in the industry told me a story. It's all second-hand and I haven't had time to fact-check it, but it was too useful not to share. More than ten years ago, Drypers was the long-time leader of Malaysia's diaper market. When Japan's MamyPoko came in, insiders didn't rate its chances, for two reasons: it cost about twice as much, and for a use-and-throw product people assumed consumers wouldn't pay; and babies can't complain, so quality differences are hard to express. The market surprised everyone. Parents found Drypers needed changing three times a night, while one MamyPoko lasted until morning. Within three years MamyPoko went from unfancied to number one. (Not sponsored, and Drypers has since invested in R&D and improved a lot.) The story points to a common mistake: assuming cheaper always sells better, especially in fast-moving consumer goods. Why can pricier sell better? A real pain point outweighs price sensitivity: a parent getting up three times a night will gladly pay for a full night's sleep. Perceived value and utility: the higher price brings higher marginal utility, better sleep for parents and comfort for the baby, which buyers amplify in their mental accounts. And premium entry: MamyPoko avoided a price war, built differentiation on quality and moved down-market later, much like Nespresso in coffee and Dyson in appliances. Price wars buy short-term share, but long-term leaders are brands that genuinely improve the user's experience and utility.
Read full English version →前几天跟一位前辈吃饭时，听到一个很有意思的案例。全部都是转述，没时间 fact check，但启发很大所以分享出来。
十多年前，马来西亚纸尿片市场的老大是 Drypers，多年稳坐龙头。后来日本 MamyPoko 要进来。刚进入时，业内人士并不看好：
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理由一：价格翻倍。 MamyPoko 的价钱是 Drypers 的一倍。快消品这种用完即丢的东西，大家觉得消费者不会买单。
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理由二：用户不会投诉。 婴儿不会开口说这尿片不好穿，所以质量差异不容易被「直接表达」。
可是市场的发展出乎所有人意料。
父母们发现，Drypers 的尿片一个晚上要换三次，而 MamyPoko 一片能顶到天亮。结果呢？三年时间，MamyPoko 就从「不被看好」直接登顶，拿下市场第一。
（先声明没业配，这几年 Drypers 也加大研发，质量改善不少，这也是几十年前的故事。）
越贵，反而越好卖？
这个故事让我想到一个普遍的误区：
很多人以为「越便宜越能卖」，尤其快消品。但有些商品，越贵反而越好卖。
为什么？
1. 用户痛点胜过价格敏感
妈妈半夜要爬起来换三次尿布，是实实在在的痛点。MamyPoko 把「一片到天亮」作为价值主张，直接击中痛点。价格差异，在「一晚好眠」面前不值一提。
2. 感知价值与「效用」（Perceived Value & Utility）
便宜的 Drypers，在经济学上是「低成本但低效用」。而 MamyPoko 的高价，却带来「更高边际效用」：父母睡眠改善，孩子舒适感提升。用户在心理账本里，会把这价值放大。
3. 消费品的「高端切入」战略
MamyPoko 并没有选择跟 Drypers 打价格战，而是通过「Premium 定位」切入市场，用高品质建立差异化，然后逐步下沉。这个打法，和 Nespresso 在咖啡市场、Dyson 在家电市场如出一辙。
价格战 ≠ 胜利方程式
做产品时「便宜」肯定不是万能武器。真正的关键，是理解用户习惯、找到痛点、解决痛点。
价格战只能带来短期的市场占有，但长期的市场领导者，往往是那些真正提升用户体验与效用的品牌。