Act like chicken. Make noise. Market your product. Without marketing nobody will see you!
Showing posts with label niche products. Show all posts
Showing posts with label niche products. Show all posts
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Quote by Henry Ford - Marketing like chicken
"Ducks lay eggs discreetly, on the other hand a chicken makes noise so the whole estate can hear. What is the result? The whole world eats chicken eggs, just few use duck eggs.“ /Henry Ford
Act like chicken. Make noise. Market your product. Without marketing nobody will see you!
Act like chicken. Make noise. Market your product. Without marketing nobody will see you!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Mass customization - individual products
Following the example of product personalization or mass customization, numerous small companies in various product categories emerged.
However, individualized products cost significantly more than similar products in the supermarket (surcharges of up to 200 % compared to standard versions). Customers accept the high price, as it gives them the chance of otbaining their absolute dream product.
Even large corporations are increasingly focusing on the individualization of their products. Thus, you can choose from various designs for products such as bags, shoes, t-shirts and laptops.
The personalization of a product can take place at different levels. Either by the imprint of a customer specified word or sentence, the (additional) adaptation of various product features (e.g. color, shape, size, ...) or by creating a completely new product by the customer (e.g. tea, cereal, sausage, chocolate). Some companies also offer the individual design of the products' packaging. So you can give your compiled product a special name and appearance of your choice.
Surprisingly, some companies are now offering their personalized products in shops, bars or cafés. This will require completely new business strategies. The online shops primarily form cooperations with small local businesses, which like the products offered.
All these mass customized products are not only individualized for the end user (public), but also for companies. Often small companies want special products for events (such as an open day), for their long-standing customers or simply as a special promotional gift or give-away.
Maybe now you are thinking about giving some special müsli mix to your long-time customers with your company logo on it? Or as an organization you want to give your major donors a very special chocolate with their name on it?
Which online shops that specialize in mass customization do you like? Let me know and I will add them to the list.
- Photo books consisting of your own photographs: www.myphotobook.co.uk
- Customized M&M's: www.mymms.com
- Personalization of various objects, such as chocolate bars, cups, calendars, cards, labels for beer bottles: www.mip2smile.com, www.zazzle.com
- Personalized gifts: www.personalizationmall.com
- Personalized labels: www.myownlabels.com
- Individual chocolates: www.schokologo.com
- Your personal Hershey bar: www.wrappedhersheys.com
- Personalized cereal: www.meandgoji.com
However, individualized products cost significantly more than similar products in the supermarket (surcharges of up to 200 % compared to standard versions). Customers accept the high price, as it gives them the chance of otbaining their absolute dream product.
Even large corporations are increasingly focusing on the individualization of their products. Thus, you can choose from various designs for products such as bags, shoes, t-shirts and laptops.
The personalization of a product can take place at different levels. Either by the imprint of a customer specified word or sentence, the (additional) adaptation of various product features (e.g. color, shape, size, ...) or by creating a completely new product by the customer (e.g. tea, cereal, sausage, chocolate). Some companies also offer the individual design of the products' packaging. So you can give your compiled product a special name and appearance of your choice.
Surprisingly, some companies are now offering their personalized products in shops, bars or cafés. This will require completely new business strategies. The online shops primarily form cooperations with small local businesses, which like the products offered.
All these mass customized products are not only individualized for the end user (public), but also for companies. Often small companies want special products for events (such as an open day), for their long-standing customers or simply as a special promotional gift or give-away.
Maybe now you are thinking about giving some special müsli mix to your long-time customers with your company logo on it? Or as an organization you want to give your major donors a very special chocolate with their name on it?
Which online shops that specialize in mass customization do you like? Let me know and I will add them to the list.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Business idea - how to find an idea for your business
You want to start your own business? You want to become an entrepreneur? But you are stilll missing the right idea for your business?
Go through the world with open eyes. Look at what people do and how they do it. Then think about how you could make processes simpler, faster and more efficient. Maybe you will realize what is missing. Then you already have your business idea. Or maybe you had the problem already that something (a product or service) was missing in a particular moment?
A different approach for finding your business idea is to turn what you like (e.g. a hobby) into a company. Do you like knitting? You could develop an Internet platform with information on knitting, where you can also sell your knitting.
Do you have certain skills that you can use to build a business? Perhaps you can offer something that no one else offers - a particular product or a particular service? Through this you could also develop a business idea.
Look out for trends that are just emerging and also for market niches.
A good starting point for developing ideas are your own strengths. Build on your strengths and try to work around your weaknesses. It makes little sense to look for capital-intensive ideas, if there are no prospects for getting money.
In general, business ideas fall into one of three categories:
The simplest business ideas are existing products in existing markets. However, here you have the greatest competition.
The most difficult ideas are new products in new markets. Here you have (almost) no competition.
Good methods in order to find ideas are:
Often, business ideas arise by accident, out of a certain situation or just when you are at the right place during the right time.
Go through the world with open eyes. Look at what people do and how they do it. Then think about how you could make processes simpler, faster and more efficient. Maybe you will realize what is missing. Then you already have your business idea. Or maybe you had the problem already that something (a product or service) was missing in a particular moment?
A different approach for finding your business idea is to turn what you like (e.g. a hobby) into a company. Do you like knitting? You could develop an Internet platform with information on knitting, where you can also sell your knitting.
Do you have certain skills that you can use to build a business? Perhaps you can offer something that no one else offers - a particular product or a particular service? Through this you could also develop a business idea.
Look out for trends that are just emerging and also for market niches.
A good starting point for developing ideas are your own strengths. Build on your strengths and try to work around your weaknesses. It makes little sense to look for capital-intensive ideas, if there are no prospects for getting money.
In general, business ideas fall into one of three categories:
- Product for which you buy parts / material and assemble the product itself
- Product that you buy from a wholesaler, retailer or manufacturer
- Service you offer
The simplest business ideas are existing products in existing markets. However, here you have the greatest competition.
The most difficult ideas are new products in new markets. Here you have (almost) no competition.
Good methods in order to find ideas are:
- Brainstorming with your friends and colleagues
- Asking others for their ideas
- Reading magazines about the market in which you want to be active
Often, business ideas arise by accident, out of a certain situation or just when you are at the right place during the right time.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Apple's Marketing - is the iPad really that great?
Apple's iPad is not the first tablet PC. It doesn't do anything that other devices wouldn't do - and other devices generally even do it better: The iPad does not have a USB connection, nor does it have a keyboard or a mouse. The iPad doesn't do multiple things at the same time. However, you can hold it with one hand, put it on your lap or pass it to someone else. Typing on the device feels as if you were typing with frozen fingers, it doesn't even have a camera, but it has a nice design. The only browser that the iPad has is Safari and it doesn't have a system for storing data. However, it has one of the world's best multitouch technology displays. The iPad doesn't have a lot of features (not even Flash!), but it has great batteries that will allow you to surf the Internet for 10 hours with charging them once.
Apple's products are simple. The iPod wasn't the first MP3 player, but it makes it easy to listen to music. With the iMac it became simple to use the Internet. With the iPhone it became easy to carry the Internet, phone, films, and music with you. The products speak to the masses rather than thechies. This can be seen in the fact that Apple is more concerened with TV commercials than social media marketing, which would tent to attract techies.
Apple does not organize focus groups, it doesn't ask what consumers want. Instead, Apple dictates what customers want.
Apple creates new niches and dominates them from the start. Whereas rival Microsoft penetrates and takes over established markets in a brutal way. Apple's products consist of a mixture of different niche products. Also the iPad is a little bit of everything: some MP3 player, some netbook, a little bit of tablet PC and a some e-book reader. In fact, the iPad can't be compared to anything, because there is nothing comparable.
And anyone who ever bought an Apple product will have a hard time to escape from the brand. After all, those who switch to another will lose everything previously purchased or will have to pay a lot of money.
But which organization is actually able to get customers to stand in a line for a product that they have never before held in their hands, nor seen or used?!
The iPad is not a revolution - bbut certainly different than a regular laptop. It is well suited to consume content, but not for creating content. Apple shifts the focus from content creation to pure absorption of content and thus transforms users to pure consumers.
Apple's products are simple. The iPod wasn't the first MP3 player, but it makes it easy to listen to music. With the iMac it became simple to use the Internet. With the iPhone it became easy to carry the Internet, phone, films, and music with you. The products speak to the masses rather than thechies. This can be seen in the fact that Apple is more concerened with TV commercials than social media marketing, which would tent to attract techies.
Apple does not organize focus groups, it doesn't ask what consumers want. Instead, Apple dictates what customers want.
Apple creates new niches and dominates them from the start. Whereas rival Microsoft penetrates and takes over established markets in a brutal way. Apple's products consist of a mixture of different niche products. Also the iPad is a little bit of everything: some MP3 player, some netbook, a little bit of tablet PC and a some e-book reader. In fact, the iPad can't be compared to anything, because there is nothing comparable.
And anyone who ever bought an Apple product will have a hard time to escape from the brand. After all, those who switch to another will lose everything previously purchased or will have to pay a lot of money.
But which organization is actually able to get customers to stand in a line for a product that they have never before held in their hands, nor seen or used?!
The iPad is not a revolution - bbut certainly different than a regular laptop. It is well suited to consume content, but not for creating content. Apple shifts the focus from content creation to pure absorption of content and thus transforms users to pure consumers.
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