My doctor recently handed me a Neilmed sinus rinse starter kit.
Inside: an empty plastic bottle and one lonely packet of “magic dust” – sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate. Basically, salt and baking soda.
I immediately ordered 50 more packets on Amazon for $20. Because, one packet?…
Using it for the first time this morning took me right back to my waterskiing days. If you know, you know. (That distinct sensation when a torrent of water finds your sinuses…)
This got me thinking about other “simple” solutions we happily pay premium prices for:
Liquid Death sells canned water for $2.29. (It’s water, in a can.)
Premium sea salt sells for 50x the price of table salt.
Fiji Water costs more than heavily refined gasoline.
This got me thinking about other “simple” solutions we happily pay premium prices for:
The ingredients list for these products reads like a middle school chemistry experiment:
- Neilmed rinse: Salt and baking soda
- Contact lens solution: Purified water, salt
- IV saline bag: Water, salt
- Pedialyte: Water, salt, sugar
- Aquaphor: Petrolatum, mineral oil
- La Mer cream: Mineral oil, petrolatum, seaweed
Yet the price points are staggering:
- Basic table salt: $0.89/lb ($1.96/kg)
- Fleur de sel: $30/lb ($66.14/kg)
- Tap water: $0.004/gallon ($0.001/litre)
- Fiji Water: $9.99/gallon ($2.64/litre)
- Petroleum jelly: $1.99/jar
- La Mer cream: $520/oz ($18.34/g)
Why on earth do we pay these premiums?
It’s because we’re not simply springing for the ingredients. We’re demonstrating our willingness to pay for:
Trust:
- Sterility guarantees
- Quality control
- Safety testing
- FDA approval
- Manufacturing standards
Convenience:
- Ready to use
- Precise measurements
- Proper packaging
- Immediate availability
- Perfect portioning
Peace of mind:
- Brand reputation
- Medical validation
- Usage instructions
- Emergency readiness
- Social acceptance
That starter kit strategy is particularly fascinating. By providing just one packet, Neilmed:
- Creates brand loyalty and trust from the start
- Makes reordering the no-brainer choice
- Establishes precise measurements
- Controls the mixing process
- Ensures first-time success
Sometimes, the value isn’t in what goes in, but in what stays out:
- Contaminants
- Bacteria
- Particulates
- Impurities
- Cross-contamination
For product makers, this reveals something crucial about value creation:
- Process matters more than ingredients
- Trust commands a premium
- Safety fears override price sensitivity
- Convenience justifies markup
- Story creates emotional value
- Distribution channels affect perception
- Packaging elevates basic contents
- Certification worth more than contents
Me and my $20 box of salt packets? I’m buying guaranteed safety for my nasal passages.
That $20 eyewash? you’re buying confidence it won’t harm your vision.
That $200 face cream? Consumers (not me, yet) are buying hope, status, and a story.
Simple ingredients. Complex value.
(An interesting side note: Why do Canadian doctors give out branded starter kits? That’s a whole other discussion about healthcare systems and pharmaceutical marketing…)
What absurdly “basic” products do YOU pay premium prices for?
Laurier