What Would Apple Do? by Dirk Beckmann

Author:Dirk Beckmann [Dirk Beckmann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781849546263
Publisher: Biteback Publishing
Published: 2013-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

SENDING A CLEAR

MESSAGE

One enormous advantage of the Internet is the high level of transparency it creates for the consumer, especially regarding reviews of products and services. The Internet brings customers together. They can search for the names of products, or scan the bar code of an item, and immediately access all the important information and any reviews that have been written.

If a product and its advantages have to be explained at length, no one in a department store is going to take the time to find out whether their choice is the right one. The digital success of a product is therefore highly dependent on whether the product benefits can be described in a single simple sentence. It’s not just the availability of information that’s important. Digitally minded people who use Facebook or other social media platforms receive a vast number of recommendations, and news of great products that are easy to explain spreads like wildfire. People tend to talk about products with an obvious benefit as if they were exciting news headlines you just have to tell your friends about.

Finding the one compelling selling point of a complicated product should not be left to the marketing or PR department. A crucial characteristic should always be an important part of the product development process.

Products and services should be examined early on regarding their suitability for the digital era. Can your product survive in a transparent world? In the past, products were protected from too much harsh criticism by the lack of transparency. Today it’s quite normal to let everyone know what you think about them. Brands and products are dragged into the public arena and discussed openly.

Does everyone in a company really know why their product is special? What single sentence could you use to describe the product – not the official line, but the real reason why a customer would buy it? Without this reason, no product will be able to survive the digital revolution. Too many companies spend their time putting together PowerPoint presentations, with long lists showing the various advantages of each product. An overdose of text and graphics serves to hide the fact that there is no simple reason to buy the product. If a product manager cannot list the advantages of his product on a single slide then it is probably going to be difficult to reach any significant market share.

Coming up with the best ideas in an iterative process that involves intense communication with colleagues will always require a clear vision. That’s why creating ‘a great app’ is not really the best starting point for a successful campaign.

When the first iPad slogan (‘A magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price’) was made public, many people were surprised at the use of the word ‘magical’. Yes, it is revolutionary, and we can talk about the price, but ‘magical’? Many regarded the iPad as superfluous because of its lack of particular features, but after a couple of months people were saying that you shouldn’t criticise

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