Is it really new and improved? Does it matter? A washing-powder manufacturer finds through research that, by

❺ Is it really ‘new and improved’? Does it matter? A washing-powder manufacturer finds through research that, by adding ‘blue beads of brightness’ to its hitherto white washing powder, it is likely to sell more of its product. If the blue beads contain an active ingredient that, in fact, bleaches whites whiter, then a genuine product improvement has been made and consumers benefit. Would it matter if the blue beads were not a bleach but just a coloured washing powder, and consumers still perceived their whites to be whiter? After all, isn’t it the case that what is new is really a matter of what consumers perceive to be new? Justify your answer.

(Learning Objective 4) (AACSB: Reflective Thinking)