Headline: “AT&T and Apple Announce Simple, Affordable Service Plans for iPhone”
So maybe I’m missing something, but I would think anyone who has a budget for a $599 cell phone probably isn’t so price-sensitive about their service plans. Although I guess all the kids who’ve saved their allowances for it might find it an incentive. I see this type of stuff all the time with my consulting work. Companies who have a great product/technology/service, but don’t seem to focus on the key messaging to actually sell the product/technology/service. I always look to TiVo’s early marketing campaigns as my pseudo-case study.
TiVo launched in 1999 with a huge marketing campaign (rumored above $50 million – huge for a startup!), focused almost exclusively around one key message: pause live TV. I still remember the first time I saw the ads (TV ones too), which, as a TiVo owner, confused the heck out of me. Here’s the thing – it turns out nobody really cares about pausing live TV, it doesn’t make much sense to a non-TiVo person, and even then it’s just a fringe benefit. There are two features that I think TiVo could’ve worked with and gotten much better results:
- Instant Replay – “Miss that shot? TiVo puts you in charge of the Instant Replay!”
- Season Pass – “No need to manage piles of blank tapes, TiVo’s Season Pass records all of your favorite shows, no hassle required.”
Overall, the iPhone marketing team has done quite a good job. Then again, the iMicrowave, iLunchbox, and iCeramicPotterySet would probably generate just as much buzz too. I just like to keep my eyes out for when companies misalign their target market, their key benefits and value proposition, and their messaging…
Frankly, I agree. I think that a $40 unlimited data plan would have been more in line. However, here’s an interesting thought. They’ve already taken alot of heat on the price. Heck, for the same price, you could get an 80GB Video iPod (ten times the storage of the biggest iPhone) and still have enough dough leftover to get a nice phone with the same (if not more) features of the iPhone.
So letting people get in on a cheaper data plan might help some of those on-the-fence consumers to hop over. People that had previously said, “I could spend that much on a phone, but I can’t afford much more per month.” Just a thought.
-Ricky.
#3 – Skip commercials – Never have to watch a commercial again with Tivo’s fast forward. Budip-Budip.