noviembre 10, 2011, Mielina Digital
They key of marketing is to know what your client want, or if they are not sure, to tell them what they want and convince them of that, to understand this, let’s review the iPod phenomenon.
The iPod, the iPhone are, as for today, the most successful personal gadgets currently in use, having sold millions of units and becoming a marketing concept that should be a case study in universities.
Today, consumers want products that meet an emotional need, added value and that come with no purchase risk, in other words: nice and easy. Also they expect to receive their information through an array of new media; but still no matter how dynamic the market has become, in order to do a good marketing you have to adhere to the fundamental principles: knowledge, logic, empathy and communication.
The basics of marketing are the same: know your client and measure everything you do; but, you have stand apart, differentiate your business, create a powerful purchasing benefit and add a value to every purchase.
Let’s go back to our iPod example, it came to the market when most gadgets were somehow difficult to learn, install and had an user’s manual that was almost as big as the yellow pages, even worse; when you upgraded or bought a new model, you had to learn how to use it, again and from zero. Also to synchronize it with your computer and manage files it was a task that required a lot of time and patience. The iPod offered easy to use and intuitive controls, you only needed to plug in and manage files through iTunes, which it was a bit easier than other management software; then was the matter of the design, simplicity, style and easy to differentiate from the rest. This was the key to the extensive marketing campaign: something that differentiates you from the rest, and makes you cool and trendy. As you can see, they accomplished all the basics: nice and easy, no purchase risks and added value.
Apple kept improving the product, creating all manners of versions: shuffle, classic, touch, and even gave a huge step forward by getting in the cell phone market with the iPhone, which already worked in a loyal fan base with the extra detail that it would not be so easy to get, which gave it an added value.
The success of the aforementioned product accomplished the goals of a well done marketing process: built heart share, increase loyalty, decreased costs and increase ROI. The iPod concept became a referral for this generation, the object that everyone wanted to have and became word of mouth, taking over social networks. The key factor here was desirability, to make the concept desirable and to create an emotional need, with a gadget that sets you apart from the others and makes you part of a community.
The iPod concept has fans, has detractors, but it has become such a marketing phenomenon that when the new products are presented, everyone talks about them and paralyzes social networks.
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