More and more companies today are engaged in the business of serving our “should” selves—think of gyms, natural-food stores, and other providers of the healthful, nutritious, educational, and uplifting products and services we know we should consume. But there’s much these companies don’t know about how best to satisfy people’s high-minded desires. New research leads me to believe that one key to success may be to sell a virtuous offering as part of a bundle. In fact, I believe that many consumers would jump at the opportunity to make their future receipt of pleasurable products contingent upon their future consumption of healthful or educational products.
A version of this article appeared in the July–August 2008 issue of Harvard Business Review.
