5 ms·

I've always hated it because it makes the assumption that everyone is at the same position in the class hierarchy - I'm poor, the last time I drank a coffee sho

by NikkiA 7y ago

I've always hated it because it makes the assumption that everyone is at the same position in the class hierarchy - I'm poor, the last time I drank a coffee shop coffee was something like 8 years ago and even then it was bought for me by my psychologist, your 'cup of coffee a day' price just sounds extravagant to me.

marriedWpt 7y ago
Maybe it's by design? You aren't their target demographic. People that do spend money on a cup of fast coffee would realize it's fine for their budget, and associate whatever offer with something affordable.
notyourday 7y ago
You are unlikely to be a customer of a paid-for commenting service as the alternative is free. PS. I don't get the downvotes. Someone who says they won't spend $5 on a coffee because they are poor would be willing to pay for commenting feature on their website?! Something that they could get for free?
- mercer 7y ago
  > Please don't comment about the voting on comments. It never does any good, and it makes boring reading.
  - buzzerbetrayed 7y ago
    - from the hacker news guidelines, for those like me who didn’t immediately realize this
TheCoelacanth 7y ago
It would be a pretty unusual product if their target market is everyone. They probably have a specific demographic in mind with their marketing.
pembrook 7y ago
But if you’re poor...you’re probably also not in the market for a $100/m B2B Saas product.
- notyourday 7y ago
  If you're poor you are not a target customer for any non-essential paid for monthly service.
  - vhvjkyhkogvv 7y ago
    A cost of doing business is one of the most essential expenses there is.
    - notyourday 7y ago
      If an owner of the business cannot afford or won't frivolously spend $5/day on a coffee, he or she won't spend money on a SaaS feature that he or she can get for free. Even if he would, to get $500/mo the SaaS would need to find one hundred of such owners. If SaaS is to price its service at $100/mo, then people for whom extra $5.00/day is a big deal won't be looking at this service at all, won't be contacting the owner about implementing yet another feature, etc. To get to $500/mo revenue, SaaS would need to find 5 owners.
      - deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
    - monadic2 7y ago
      The absurdity of an “essential price”... essential to what, class?
      - tomnipotent 7y ago
        To doing business? Doesn't seem absurd at all. Do you think business should just land in your lap for free without having to spend anything for it? That what seems absurd to me.
QuantumGood 7y ago
> "...anchor against another online service." So this isn't really against the idea, only against using coffee in the analogy. One of the underlying principles, "Present costs as small pieces, and rewards as a large sum" is important, but there are many other relevant approaches, e.g. free trial, money-back guarantee, etc., etc. Effective marketing usually combines approaches. Analogizing to other small costs can NOT be the whole pricing strategy.
perl4ever 7y ago
Pretty much nobody buys a cup of coffee every day. If people who think they do or might actually did, then places wouldn't sell those "bottomless" cups. Also, what's a "coffee shop coffee"? Does that mean a place that charges more than $2 for a large?

by NikkiA 7y ago

marriedWpt 7y ago

Maybe it's by design? You aren't their target demographic. People that do spend money on a cup of fast coffee would realize it's fine for their budget, and associate whatever offer with something affordable.

notyourday 7y ago

You are unlikely to be a customer of a paid-for commenting service as the alternative is free. PS. I don't get the downvotes. Someone who says they won't spend $5 on a coffee because they are poor would be willing to pay for commenting feature on their website?! Something that they could get for free?

mercer 7y ago
> Please don't comment about the voting on comments. It never does any good, and it makes boring reading.
- buzzerbetrayed 7y ago
  - from the hacker news guidelines, for those like me who didn’t immediately realize this

TheCoelacanth 7y ago

It would be a pretty unusual product if their target market is everyone. They probably have a specific demographic in mind with their marketing.

pembrook 7y ago

But if you’re poor...you’re probably also not in the market for a $100/m B2B Saas product.

notyourday 7y ago
If you're poor you are not a target customer for any non-essential paid for monthly service.
- vhvjkyhkogvv 7y ago
  A cost of doing business is one of the most essential expenses there is.
  - notyourday 7y ago
    If an owner of the business cannot afford or won't frivolously spend $5/day on a coffee, he or she won't spend money on a SaaS feature that he or she can get for free. Even if he would, to get $500/mo the SaaS would need to find one hundred of such owners. If SaaS is to price its service at $100/mo, then people for whom extra $5.00/day is a big deal won't be looking at this service at all, won't be contacting the owner about implementing yet another feature, etc. To get to $500/mo revenue, SaaS would need to find 5 owners.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
  - monadic2 7y ago
    The absurdity of an “essential price”... essential to what, class?
    - tomnipotent 7y ago
      To doing business? Doesn't seem absurd at all. Do you think business should just land in your lap for free without having to spend anything for it? That what seems absurd to me.

QuantumGood 7y ago

> "...anchor against another online service." So this isn't really against the idea, only against using coffee in the analogy. One of the underlying principles, "Present costs as small pieces, and rewards as a large sum" is important, but there are many other relevant approaches, e.g. free trial, money-back guarantee, etc., etc. Effective marketing usually combines approaches. Analogizing to other small costs can NOT be the whole pricing strategy.

perl4ever 7y ago

Pretty much nobody buys a cup of coffee every day. If people who think they do or might actually did, then places wouldn't sell those "bottomless" cups. Also, what's a "coffee shop coffee"? Does that mean a place that charges more than $2 for a large?