Why Forcing Market Change Is Good Strategy
Apple is forcing change
on the market again and that’s no bad thing.
It’s happened again.
Tech bloggers are mourning the loss of yet another technology that Apple has
mercilessly thrown out of one of its devices. This time it’s the 3.5mm audio
jack, a 138-year old technology that allows users to connect any type of wired headphones
to their iPhone to listen to their music. The alternative will be the AirPods,
wireless headphones that will connect seamlessly with the device. However,
conspiracy theories abound that a world without wires is actually an attempt by
Apple to tether us closer to its technology and products.
Apple says its
decision is characterised by “courage”. It rightfully points out that customers
want more battery power, better screens, better speakers, sharper cameras and
faster processors, all of which is competing for space inside the same
enclosure. Still, the techies aren’t hearing it.
However, I would
posit that it’s not the techies Apple is trying to please here. It’s regular
people – “the rest of us” like Apple promised in its famous 1984 Macintosh ads. Most iPhone users like the iPhone
because it just works. It’s simple, but its functionality is high and valuable.
Many users are tired of pulling their tangled and mangled headphones out of
their pocket and handbags, then struggling to put them right for five minutes,
not to mention the very real strife of jogging with wires all over the place.
It’s
high time we lost the wire, but the removal of the audio jack is about more
than the elimination of a humble analogue technology. It’s also a lesson in
making innovations succeed by changing the market, instead of trying to
responding to it.
First mover
Apple has been at the
forefront of removing old technologies before. It was the first computer maker
to take out the compact disc (CD) drive from its MacBook computers, making the
MacBook Air the thinnest laptop on the market. Later it killed the 30-pin
connector USB cable in favour of Lightning. At each stage it has arguably
helped customers make the transition to its new technologies, albeit at a cost.
For those still in need of the use of CDs, customers could buy an external disk
drive to plug into their laptops. Customers not able or willing to upgrade to a
device with a Lightning port could also buy an adaptor for their 30-pin
connector. As the underdog computer maker, it was easier to take the risk of
radical changes. It is refreshing to see that Apple, even as a leader, has not
lost its appetite for taking risks – even when it means eliminating one of its
own icons.
There are always
gripes about the extra money customers have to fork out for the kit needed to
bridge to the new technology, but eventually the customer comes around to
Apple’s way of thinking, mainly because it adds value along the way. We can see
this dynamic reflected in INSEAD’s Blue Ocean Strategy. In the famous “strategy
canvas”, companies like Apple are encouraged to eliminate and reduce complexity
and variety in favour of high value, easy to use functions, which
we see across Apple’s
corporate strategy, from computers to iTunes.
As
I wrote
previously, when it comes to marketing
innovations, instigators need to bridge three key gaps; first the
understanding gap, secondly, the attractiveness gap and thirdly, the
behavioural change gap. Innovations do not automatically create conditions for
their adoption but the behaviour change must be managed for it to succeed.
Preparing the ground
Human beings are
naturally loss averse. When comfortable with a technology, they don’t like to
give it up. But as we’ve seen before, Apple is good at changing behaviours
because it knows how to simplify life. Yes, AirPods last longer and are easier
to charge than other wireless headphones. But the bigger innovation is the
simplification of the pairing with the phone. They connect automatically to the
phone when they are out of the pouch and the phone recognizes when you wear
them in your ears to send the sound to right output.
Still, this time
could take a bit longer, especially if customers fear losing one of the
AirPods. One big change in the strategy is that the customers won’t be getting
these headphones for free with their new phones. They’ll get an adaptor to help
them make the transition instead. This might make the transition a longer one,
but it seems likely to happen in the end.
Apple’s transition to
wireless music started with its acquisition of Beats and its range of
Bluetooth headsets, which make travel and running a breeze. The AirPods are a
way to mainstream this technology and behaviour, increasing the usability and
comfort of using Apple devices, especially when exercising. The company’s
interest in health and wellness is well-known. The Apple Watch carries a
heart-rate monitor as well as step and sleep tracking. It is highly likely that
the AirPods plus the Apple Watch will become the only companions a jogger
needs, leaving the phone for other functions, especially since the Watch can
hold a music library of its own as well as carry out GPS tracking in the new
Apple Watch Nike + version.
One could argue that
Apple is trying to offset declining sales of its iPhone and the AirPods
will prop up sales of its “other” category, which includes the Watch and iPod.
Either way, the company is leading the way yet again – not with breakthrough
technology, but with a solution that is user friendly and intuitive. It’s thus
safe to assume that Apple’s customers are likely to get on board with it,
especially those increasingly interested in health and wellness.
Markus Christen is an Associate
Professor of Marketing at INSEAD and the chair of the Marketing Area at the
school.
Read more at http://knowledge.insead.edu/blog/insead-blog/why-forcing-market-change-is-good-strategy-4922?utm_source=INSEAD+Knowledge&utm_campaign=9eb25025eb-15_Sept_mailer9_15_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e079141ebb-9eb25025eb-249840429#kxbaA0ZKXPfD0U5s.99
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