This year is an awesome tech year, if you like that kind of stuff. Instead launching one or two big gadgets just in time for the holidays, there have and will be a barrage of gadgets that will fit under the tree, and they are big competitors too.
Just like a movie release doesn’t want to be outshined by another big movie, neither does a tech company. Companies will push back or move forward their release dates and some will even go as far as to move because they want to reach consumers faster than competitors. This month, tech announcements all landed within about a week with announcements for Windows 8, Microsoft Surface, The iPad Mini, Google Chromebook, Nook HD, Windows Phone 8, A 10-inch Samsung tablet, a new Google phone and many more. Differentiation is “distinguishing the offerings of an organization, in a way that the customer perceives as adding value”(36, Heizer and Render). Do any of the companies really have this differentiation, or doesn’t this affect attitudes toward a new product? I would have to say that Apple set itself ahead of other competitors a few years back when it introduced the touch screens before anybody else, but now it seems there is a lot of copy cat gadgets, where its hard for them to get that differentiation anymore.
I think that it will be a good benchmark after the holidays to see who really has the biggest competitive advantage in the market this year. Will the competitive advantage be more geared at price or polish?
We already talked about forecasting in our operations management class, but how can each company have an accurate forecast with so many competitors in the market, dropping some pretty cool additions to the tech world?
On a side note, does the color of one gadget to the next bring up a concern in the selection process?
I think that Apple will always be differentiated from their competitors based on the quality of their product. I have heard people who absolutely hate Mac and hate Apple, buy an apple product or even just try out an Apple product and their response is “Well I still like PC’s better, but this Apple does make a pretty amazing product”. There really is no denying the greatness of Apple’s products in my mind. They stand behind their product when it fails and they try to make sure that every consumer leaves the genius bar happy if they ever encoutner a problem.
I think this holiday it wont necessarily be between price or polish but a mix of the two. In todays economy, I think people want the greatest bang for their buck. What product is the best quality for the dollars they are spending. Maybe an Apple product costs more, but what benefits does Apple provide to them that other companies do not… I’m guessing alot.
I think color used to be a big deal but today, people really only need the selection between black and white. If the product that someone really wants only comes in, lets say Black, I do not think that they will choose to not purchase it just because they really want a white device. Its more about the technology than than the look or color of the product in my opinion.
I agree that this year it will be a combination between price and polish. With there being so many different types of products and gadgets, the consumer realizes that there are more options. Therefore, the prices will be even more competitive.
I think it today’s world, the consumer doesn’t really want more than one option for a product. The fewer colors available, the easier theirs purchasing decision will be.