...that’s what you get in Cracker Jack® When I saw the latest "prize" in Cracker Jack® is an augmented reality app, I took note that it is driving kids to smartphones. It is an app called Blippar which is an augmented reality game for your smartphone. The "prizes" allow the user to open new aspects of a game from their phone. I was underwhelmed. I guess, however, the … [Read more...]
What CE Independent Retailers can Learn from the Corner Bicycle Shop
My son has a dream of owning his own bicycle shop. I figured there has to be a book about how to start your own retail bicycle store and sure enough I found one: "Leading Out Retail: A Creative Look at Bicycle Retail and What All Retailers Can Learn From It" by Donny Perry. (Published in 2014). Perry foreshadows a lot of what is happening to independent retailers today and … [Read more...]
Great Packaging Tells a Story About Your Brand
Whether a customer bought your product online or at the store, your package has an impact on your brand. Consumer technology manufacturers should look outside of their category to get inspiration. This blog will highlight a product that has done a great job defining their brand through their package design as well as some packaging within the CE … [Read more...]
The Independent Dealer Can Prosper in the Age of Amazon
There is a place for independent dealers (regional and local) in the consumer technology world. Some chains have failed or are trying to restructure such as HHGregg and Radio Shack. Best Buy is making a comeback and doing battle with Amazon and Walmart. Can the independent dealer claim their place in the evolving retail world? I think they can and in fact, they may be able to … [Read more...]
Superior Package Design Sets a Commodity Product Apart
How has the commoditization of the consumer technology market influenced the package design? This blog explores two different scenarios: packaging as a silent salesman and packaging as an extention of the brand. Initially, here are the reasons we know that commoditization has taken place in the consumer technology market: The length of the product cycles has gotten much … [Read more...]
Shopping for Phone Cases is #$%# Complicated!
For an uncomplicated product, such as a phone case, it sure is complicated shopping for one. You used to be able to walk into a store and the category was organized by the manufacturer of the case. There were very few competitors back then---Belkin, Targus and Apple to name a few. I remember Belkin owned a corner of that market with their blue packaging. It served as a … [Read more...]
The Fall of the BlackBerry Brand
How an Iconic Brand Went From Boom to Bust The demise of the BlackBerry brand is worth studying for any consumer technology company. There are many lessons to be learned. The company struggled to remain relevant in the market and failed. We took a look into some of the mishaps and misfortunes that led the company not only to the edge of the cliff but over the cliff. Here … [Read more...]