stealing ideas

This video of Accenture’s Greg Douglass points out two simple but smart trends to look for in ‘09 from marketers:

(1) Aspirational Marketing
(2) Added-Value Marketing

You could also call the latter “Apple Marketing” - it’s what they’ve been doing for years by making the hardware and software together in the same house so that all of their devices (and the software that goes with them) work together seamlessly. The appeal of the iPod, and this isn’t a revelation by any stretch, isn’t in the device itself but how they bundled the services with the product, i.e. iTunes.

Same goes with the iMac - the computer’s design isn’t the main selling point, when you get to a mac store what do the sales associates beat into your head? How easily everything works together (iMac + iPod + iTunes + iLife) to add value to the user. “They just work.” What’s brilliant about Apple’s marketing is that it’s both aspirational (by way of the design, packaging and positioning) and added-value, so you can justify the higher price point even in a down economy.

Gregg’s thought is that this is the year when other manufacturers start to really catch on so we’ll begin seeing TV’s that allows users to download NetFlix movies seamlessly in 1080p, we’ll see ISPs giving away netbooks, etc.

And if that’s true we’ll also see more acquisitions… as in any recession(big or small) once we’re out of it we’ll find the the rich will be richer and the poor will be out of business.