I was watching a VHS recording of Mystery Science Theater 3000 from 1999 (complete with the original commercials!) when an ad asked a dramatic and completely insane question: “What do Cub Cadet lawn tractors dream about?”
While the Cub Cadet sits quietly in a moonlit garage, we get our answer in a series of quick cuts:
A violent tornado.
Professional wrestling.
An avalanche.
And then, finally, Megalon, the beetle-like kaiju who fires an energy ray that levels a building.
From there, the commercial transitions to bright daytime footage of a man cutting grass, maneuvering his Cub Cadet across steep terrain. The narrator highlights its specs: Steel driveshaft! Cast-iron front axle! 5-year warranty! 0% financing! Made in America!
In a modern world of endless, inane ads for insurance I don’t need and mobile games I’ll never play, this ridiculous 27-year-old commercial was a giant breath of fresh air.
And it’s also a good lesson in product positioning.
Cub Cadet was selling a lawn tractor. But they didn’t lead with how great its specs were or the special financing. They started with what the tractor meant.
This tractor is tough.
Really tough.
Megalon-level tough.
Only after they establish that do they give us the features that back it up.
These days, like many of you, I spend a good deal of time understanding how AI can solve problems that my customers care about. And if you look at almost any collection of software product announcements, you’ll see AI-powered this and AI-powered that.
There’s nothing wrong with that, per se. But “AI-powered” on its own isn’t a value proposition any more than “cast-iron axle.”
AI and cast iron are both means to an end. Neither is the value itself.
Don’t get me wrong: Technology is important, so is capability. But ultimately, customers care about outcomes. And then there’s how the product makes them feel. This Cub Cadet commercial hits on all four.
The steel driveshaft and cast-iron front axle are the technology. They make the tractor durable enough to handle steep terrain, which is the key capability. That gets me to the outcome I actually care about: the whole yard mowed, with no headaches and no lost weekend. And that creates the feeling that I’m unstoppable.
Many AI announcements start with the technology. Cub Cadet started with the feeling instead, and then brought in the specs to back it up. We need more of that.
Let’s try it out on a fictitious AI reporting tool.
“Powered by AI” is a technology claim.
“Ask questions about your data using natural language” is a capability.
“Find the answer you need without spending 20 minutes digging through files or generating reports” is an outcome.
And the feeling? Relief that the reporting fire drills are over. Confidence that nothing important has slipped by you. Independence because you can get answers on your own instead of waiting for someone else.
If the tractor dreams of Megalon, what does your reporting tool dream about? Maybe every question answered before the CFO even asks.
Do you know what your AI-powered products dream about?
If not, it’s time to find their Megalon.
Just make sure to aim those energy rays at your customers’ problems, not your actual customers.
Bonus Content
Watch the amazingly bonkers and effective Cub Cadet commercial here:
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