We've talked a lot on here about advertising, but I had to dedicate today's post to what comes before advertising. Product innovation.Yes, there's a strategy for that too.
This new phone called Kin is nothing if not fueled by consumer insight. That insight, of course, is that phones are no longer just for talking; they're about staying connected in all sorts of other ways.
Having worked on an innovation team, I've witnessed first hand how long it can take to go from insight to product. In fact, most of the insights never make it half that far. The majority are dismissed along the way for some reason or series of reasons, the common denominator of which typically involves lack of money, speed or resources.
The success of any new product is largely correlated with speed to market. If the insight that inspired the innovation is no longer relevant by the time the product launches, or if your competitor beats you to the punch, odds are your product launch will suffer.
If, on the other hand, you recognize an insight, acknowledge the risk, agree to take that risk, assign sufficient resources and prioritize launch within X time frame, you'll be well on your way.
Kin is a brilliant innovation because it's less about inventing new technology and more about repackaging, reorienting and repositioning what's already there. Sure, it can do some things other smartphones can't, but largely it's about making the link between two points of user behavior - capturing stuff and sharing stuff.
In a word, seamless.
Kin may have challenges in establishing a quick following, but at the relatively low price point, this should be a home run with the late-teen / early 20's crowd to which it's targeted.
ON STRATEGY.
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