In the early 1990s, Nescafé set its sights on Egypt, eager to introduce instant coffee to a market that thrived on tea and traditional brews. The company rolled out its product with high hopes, expecting strong sales. But to their surprise, Egyptians weren’t buying it. Puzzled by the failure, the company sent one of their top marketing experts to investigate. Instead of relying on focus groups or surveys, he took a different approach. For an entire month, he immersed himself in Egyptian daily life. He wandered through bustling markets, sat for hours in local cafés, and even indulged in plates of koshary with strangers. Meanwhile, the Egyptian team watched him with confusion. Why was he spending so much time observing instead of strategizing? After weeks of quiet observation, he finally returned to the U.S. with just one recommendation: "Change the Nescafé jar from ceramic to glass." The executives were stunned. That was it? No grand marketing campaign? No clever slogans? “You spent a month in Egypt, and this is your big insight?” one of them asked. The marketing expert simply smiled. “Change the jar,” he said, “and you can say whatever you want in the ads. It won’t matter—people will buy it.” With no better ideas on hand, the company made the change. And almost overnight, Nescafé sales in Egypt skyrocketed. Curious about his reasoning, the executives later pressed him for an explanation. He leaned back and said, "Egypt has a long history of economic uncertainty. It’s ingrained in the culture—stretching back to Pharaonic times. People are always thinking ahead, always preparing for what’s to come. They save everything, from old newspapers to empty jars, because waste is not an option. “When Egyptians saw the ceramic jar, they hesitated. ‘What if I don’t like the coffee?’ they thought. A ceramic jar had no secondary use—it could break, and then what? But a glass jar? That was different. Even if they disliked the coffee, they could still use the jar to store sugar, rice, or small change. It wasn’t a waste—it was an investment.” He let the insight sink in before adding, “Once they saw value in the jar, they were willing to take the risk. And that’s all we needed.” And just like that, a simple jar turned a failing product into a household staple across Egypt.