Organizations are often consumed with market research and competitive analysis. They say they want to innovate, but their products and services are nothing more than a reflection of the current market. They a stuck in today’s paradigm, eking out incremental change, year after year.  The signals they use to plan and develop new products and services is much like the frozen ruts in the icy roads near my home on a cold winter day.

How should companies escape from this trap? Years ago, Wayne Gretzky said:  “Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”  Steve Jobs referenced this quote a few years ago at the launch of the iPhone, to describe Apple’s strategy. I recently read again in a 2007 interview of Greg Joswiak, who at the time was Apple’s Product Manager for the iPod and iPhone. He quoted Gretzky, and then continued, “… We try to understand as we develop our product road map, what’s going to be exciting in the future. And that’s one of the advantages we have over our competitors. Our competitors tend to put the cross hairs on where we are now, and by the time they come up with a product that tries to match where we are now, we’re beyond them. We’re one or two generations beyond, moving faster than they are.”

I am not suggesting you should ignore the competition, but I am suggesting that the future is often right in front of you. Embrace it! Exploit it! Let me know what you think.

Rick

I have been accused of being an Apple Fanboy.  I  admit to owning a number of ‘i-things’, but nothing like this: 25 Signs That You Might Be An Apple Fanboy.  I do not have an Apple tattoo, no Mac-couch, or any of the items on this list. I am guilty of enjoying Apple products. 
What is the big deal with Apple anyway? I am sure that everyone has an opinion on this. There is not much middle ground: they seem to be loved or hated. 
Apple is brilliant at using design to provide an amazing customer experience.  It is not just about the product. The experience is managed at every touch-point. Customer service, packaging, product, iTunes … it is all part of the experience that we call Apple. 
I have been reading, Do You Matter?: How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company by Brunner, Emery and Hall (Sponsored link). The authors made the following observation:

We think that most
people are prone to define design, particularly good design, more narrowly than they should. When you see an iconic product, such as an
iPhone, for instance, [...] it’s so easy to overlook the big picture of
how the product fits into the company’s future – and the future of
similar products in general. We want you to consider a far broader view
of the significance of design.

Speaking of product design, the authors wrote that:

The difference between a great product and a merely good product is that a great product embodies an idea that people can understand and learn about – an idea that grows in the minds, one they emotionally engage with.

Can a product, and a company, be successful based on design alone? Not necessarily.  The author pints to the “total concept – how the product operates, how it sounds, and how it feels.” Does it resonate with customers? That is what is special: you experience Apple. 

If you want to look at an interesting case study, consider the Motorola Razr. Clearly this was a popular phone. Was Motorola able to use this to sustained the success they enjoyed from the early success? They tried to migrate the Razr ‘looks’ to next generation of devices, but they never really understood this: Design, as the author points out, establishes the relationship between your company and your customer.

I highly recommend this book.  It should be read by every engineer, marketer, and business person. As for Apple – that’s your call.  I love my i-things.

Rick

Photo: By multisanti

I remember when I purchased my first iPod. I was so impressed by not just the device, but the entire experience. I ordered it online, and had my name etched on the back. I also remember the packaging, how it felt, and the white ear buds that seemed so cool. All of those fine details are part of Apples brand.

Now back to the video. Even the design of the packaging of the iPhone aligns with the Apple brand. Simple, cool … every detail. Regardless of how you feel about apply, you can learn from their attention to detail and brand management.