Consumers shouldn't have to buy X and Y to experience Z

Janene Matsukis

In other words, marketers hoping to flog the next killer app aimed to convince consumers that they needed to first buy some expensive piece of hardware, just to be able to run the so-called killer app. Only then would they be able to experience some kind of benefit. While some apps might be so desirable that making that initial hardware purchase seem almost trivial compared to the enormous benefits subsequently experienced by the user, the whole concept of the "killer app" seems somewhat overblown in 2015.

Why should Joe Consumer have to buy X and Y just to experience Z? Why not go directly from product Y to benefit Z? It is with this thinking in mind that VIDI, South Africa's homegrown Video-on-Demand (VOD) service, presents some advice for entrepreneurs below. Let's get back to basics and determine what attributes make a killer product.

No additional hardware necessary

In a South African economy that is spluttering along at a mediocre 2% GDP growth rate, the newly-launched products and services that will win out over their established competitors are those that enable consumers to do more with existing hardware. It makes no sense for hard-pressed consumers to have to go out and purchase expensive accessories just to be able to enjoy your product. Don't invent a better mousetrap, just discover new things we can do with our current mousetraps!

Technology that accommodates the user

VOD services have quickly discovered that relatively few South Africans have access to lightning fast broadband Internet. So we've designed a plethora of viewing options around the technology that our users have available at any given time. That's the way it should be. Since when did marketers dictate to consumers? Sometimes it seems that the Information Technology revolution has turned marketing on its head with consumers at the mercy of those dreaded 'system requirements'. Consumers should tell us how they'd like to access our services, we shouldn't tell consumers.

Services available on demand

Entrepreneurs, especially in the entertainment sector, need to be aware that the days of viewers waiting in earnest for the 8 o'clock news have gone the way of monochrome TV. Nobody wants to wait for anything anymore, nobody wants to queue and everybody is looking for immediate gratification. Uber, online shopping and unscheduled VOD services are evidence that commercial success will follow when you build services around the personal realities and unique needs of individuals.

The flexibility to select prepaid or contract

Once again, we return to the necessity of responding to consumer needs, with a little bit of economic reality thrown in. Marketers need to be cognisant of the fact that consumers tend to sign up for value-added 12 month or 24 month contracts when the economy is expanding, and they appreciate the flexibility to try out prepaid, or pay-per-view, options in lean times. In addition, South African entrepreneurs need to design offerings in line with relevant consumer legislation which makes it very easy for consumers to escape certain clauses in fixed term contracts.

In conclusion, the consumer-focused organisation is one that puts the individual customer at the centre of a product or service where the need for freedom, choice and change are integral parts of the overall offering.