Value isn't fixed. It's framed - 26 June 2026
This week's thread
We think value is objective. A simple calculation of features against cost. But in reality value is constructed, with the context surrounding an offer shaping how we feel about it more than the offer itself. A discount feels better than a permanently low price. A small cake feels like better value than an expensive biscuit. A reminder that marketers are not just selling products. They are selling perspectives.
This week's concept
Framing effects
Value is a matter of perspective.
Thread ONE
JC Penney
When US retailer JC Penney replaced coupons with 'fair and square' everyday low prices, sales collapsed. Customers did not want a fair price. They wanted the feeling of getting a deal. The frame was more attractive than the absolute number.
Why it matters
Frame price changes as a specific gain for the customer, not just a new state of being.
Thread TWO
Jacobs Mallows
Jacobs Mallows were a poor-selling biscuit, so the owner moved them from the biscuit aisle to the cake aisle. This simple act of re-framing changed the competitive set, turning an expensive biscuit into a very cheap cake.
Why it matters
Change the competitive frame to reposition your product's perceived value, without touching the product.
Thread THREE
Samsung Frame TV
A television is a black hole on your wall when it's off. Samsung reframed this downtime into a feature. Its Frame TV displays high-resolution art when not in use, turning a functional object into a desirable piece of decor.
Why it matters
Reframe a product's primary weakness or negative space as a valuable secondary feature.
The thread, pulled tight
The lesson is clear. Stop optimising the thing and start optimising the context around it. Whether it is pricing, placement, or product function, value is relative. Marketers who master Framing Effects do not just sell more. They control what their product is being compared to, and on what terms.
From the archive
Re-cut movie trailers
Clever editing can turn a dark fantasy film like Harry Potter into a teen comedy. It's the same content, just presented in another context, proving that framing dictates meaning entirely.
Continue the thread
What's the best example of framing you've seen recently?
Reply with the best example you've seen. I read every response, and the best ones often end up on Uncommon Thread.
Keep pulling the thread