Let’s look at what the most successful current consumer electronics products — the iPad, iPhone and Kindle — have in common. I call them singular products (which are one percent of all consumer electronics) as opposed to special products (nine percent) or commodities (90 percent).
- They keep their promise, meaning they do what the marketing says they do. Nearly all tech products on the market meet this most basic criteria. If your marketing says one thing, but your product does another, it will not succeed.
- They exceed already high expectations. People have heard all about these products by the time they buy them. And yet, they’re usually even more impressed than they expected.
- They improve during ownership. These products grow with people. Operating systems get better. Countless apps can be installed. Accessories can enhace the experience.
- They make people realize what they were missing. How did I live without this? That, and now that they’ve experienced it, people can’t imagine life without the product.
- Feel-Good-Factor (FGF). Phycially, it feels good to hold the product. The first impression is stunning. These products are fashionable. These products areaspirations attained.
Think about these characteristics in your next product development session. It’s not an accident that the products with the most mainstream consumer evangelists share these elements.
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I am a marketing consultant with clients that include TiVo, Logitech, T-Mobile, Sprint, Yelp! and ZAGG. My new book, Evangelist Marketing, was published this month, and is 288 pages on topics like this one.