Just bought an 30-GB iPod two weeks ago... absolutely satisfied with the "experience." I've postpone writing about this particular obsession and experience for several times, until a recent article in Business Week (iPod Takes Japan by Storm) gets my attention and here you go...1. iPod is not (another) MP3 player.
Hey... I'm not buying an MP3 player... I bought iPod.
(Are there any differences?)
Cult brand!
Quoted from Business Week:
Consumers are changing how they view and even relate to brands... through the power of the Internet ... many larger communities around their favorite brands. Creating this new sense of belonging is what the most successful marketers are striving for.... They have become "cult brands."
How? By forging distinct, attractive identities, creating bonds beyond the point of purchase, and reinforcing those bonds through constant contact. More important, they beget proselytizers who will chat up the company to their buddies, set up Web sites, attend events, and proudly identify themselves as users.
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End-to-end experience!
From marketing campaign, buying experience (look at those sleek Apple Stores), ease-of-use of iPod and iTunes software, and not to forget iTunes Music Store experience -- songs priced below pain-level (99 cents!), buy only the songs that you like (!).
All is well-designed.
Besides that, of course, iPod offers the best value for me: it has a really sleek and hip design, good sound quality, excellent software, good battery life, and a reasonable price. (Hey, that's why you buy a product).
2. Will iPod success lasts?
On one hand: healthy margin, 51.3% market share, cult brand... cool innovations, Steve-Job-factors, great marketing execution, and the end-to-end experience.
On the other hand: a bunch of competitors - from cheap MP3 players to big names like Sony, Panasonic, and Microsoft (so I heard)... and don't forget the multimedia phones.
We'll wait and see.
3. Does their recipe work in Indonesia, anyway?
I was a bit dissapointed that I can't get the iTunes Music Store account... only because I live in Indonesia!!! (Why?? Credit card fraud and piracy stuffs??).
One piece of the end-to-end experience is missing.
But marketing a product to Indonesians is always different: you can find unique value of iPod in Indonesia -- and exploit it.
Update on iPod bashing
http://gigaom.com/2006/03/23/another-day-another-ipod-obit/
The fact of the matter is that iPod is more than a device or an MP3 player. It is a cultural phenomenon, and that just is something neither you can predict, or bury with mere words. The bar has been set so high, that Nokia (or anyone else) will have to make phones which are not just equal but far superior to iPod to beat Apple.
Long live iPod!!!
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