Customization: A goldmine or a wasteland?

Should firms invest in customization strategies? Customization is a "hot" topic advocated in many popular books and articles. On the other hand, spectacular failures in the recent past have raised doubts. We experimentally tested the value customization generates for customers in the diverse product categories of newspapers, fountain pens, kitchens, skis, and cereals. The findings are clear: customization by far outperforms the more traditional strategies of segmentation and mass marketing.