Take a note from HP, if you do not have a thorough and efficient strategy, your projects and services will ultimately fail. Seven weeks ago, they announced that they were going to jump into the tablet market, taking on Apple’s iPad and the other five or so knock-offs. They even had an all-star marketing crew with Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Lea Michele, and Manny Pacquiao. So what happened? Their strategy was weak.
Do Not Just Copy Someone Else
In the business world, if your product is not different enough from other companies, you will not succeed. In their case, Apple has a HUGE reputation and loyal fan base that will not leave. HP could have marketed their tablet to the medical world that cannot use Apple products because they are open source or make them heavy duty to sell to a huge factory market, but they tried to take on a company completely established. Youth workers, bloggers, and any other businesses can try to duplicate someone elses work, but it will fall flat without understanding your audience. HP did not understand their customers and therefore they failed.
You Have To Have The Whole Package
Doing something right does not guarantee success but to have success requires doing things right. It is more than just the hardware for tablets, you have to have the whole package. Apple is so far ahead in available apps that there is something for everyone. All others are simply playing catch up including Android and Microsoft. We can try to blog about whatever comes to us, make up youth ministry events and sermons by the seat but of our pants, but after a couple of months you will crash. Without having all of the A.D.D. fun that Apple’s app store does so well, HP failed.
Do It Better
As previously stated, Apple’s fans are loyal. Doing something right does not guarantee success but to have success requires doing things right. HP made a tablet that costs a little bit less than the iPad, was a little bit faster, and had one or two more pluses (used Flash, snore!). What incentive did customers have? If they already had a tablet that works extremely well, they are not going to shell out another $300 for a little better. For customers that do not have a tablet yet, all they know right now is that Apple has a great product and HP has one that is cheaper and cheaper usually means worse… How do we push our services and projects? Are they just a little better than hanging out? Where is the benefit? HP did not improve a product enough and so they failed.
Speak your mind...