When it comes to smartphones, there are a few brands in the market that are popular, such as Apple, Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony, and Motorola just to name a few, although in all honesty it does feel like the market does belong with Apple and Samsung. Given that companies such as HTC are struggling financially, what can they do to keep themselves relevant? According to the director of GfK’s business and technology, Ryan Garner, he believes that these other companies need to stop selling products, and instead sell a lifestyle.By that we don’t mean that these companies should exit the market entirely, but instead of trying to compete against the likes of Apple and Samsung based purely on hardware alone, Garner noted, “OEMs should move away from promoting product features as their headline story and look to other product categories for how to differentiate in an increasingly saturated and commoditised market. For example, Nike doesn’t just sell trainers, it sells a fit and active lifestyle. Similarly, in technology markets, Bose does not sell speakers, it believes life is better with better sound.”
Garner notes that trying to highlight features such a phone’s camera are no longer effective, especially given how much technology has advanced and how customers have already come to expect such features in their devices already. What do you guys think? Does Garner have a point here? Do you agree that other companies need to start focusing more on selling a lifestyle rather than the actual product itself?
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