Re: Key Down Amps - Now really OT!

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Re: Key Down Amps - Now really OT!

Lu Romero - W4LT
As a student of these issues, I dissagree.  Its telling from your comments
that a lot of you come from an Engineering perspective.  And while I can
understand that because of my engineering background, my marketing
background knows better.  Customer support is paramount in the success of
any product, from toasters to transceivers.

The core competency of Apple is not their Hardware, which is competent, but
not overwhelmingly so.  It is not their software either, which is also
competent, but also not overwhelmingly so.

The core competency of Apple is their CULTURE MARKETING PROWESS!  They
create a "cult" for their products that "sticks" after the sale. This
creates goodwill for the eventual screw-up.  

They invest in creating disciples from users.

This is true in my field: Broadcast Engineering... Panasonic had product
just as good, and in many respects, very superior to Sony.  But everybody in
Newsgathering circles wanted a Betacam SP camcorder on their shoulder and
not a M-II camcorder.  Because Sony knew how to create customer loyalty with
responsiveness.  Or in digital video effects, Abekas Video Systems vs Ampex.
I lived through those.  

Elecraft is like Apple (or Abekas or Sony), not necesarily because of their
extremely effective technology; It helps, but its not everything... Yaesu's
FT5000 and Kenwood's TS590 are competent competitors, one above and one
below K3's price point.  Elecraft is exceptional partly because of us, their
customers, who care so much as to give input and evangelize the product. And
because they listen to us and respect our opinion, they galvanize the
relationship beyond the sale of the product.  

Eric and Wayne are smart because they understand that their next successful
products lie in our imaginations, not just theirs. An they care enough about
us customers to listen and support us with uncompromising responsiveness.  I
believe this is a top down directive in Elecraft's corporate culture from
what I have been able to discern.  Unfortunately, its the first thing that
gets cut in the "comglomerization" of a startup... Ive experienced that
firsthand... And I hope it never happens to Elecraft!

Lucky are those companies with customer-evangelists.  Treat them well, and
they insure continued success.

Because there simply is no better marketing that customer-word-of-mouth.
You cannot buy that at any price with any technology, no matter how good the
product is.

Lu Romero - W4LT
K3. P3, K1

-----------------------------------



Message: 9
Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2012 15:58:56 -0500
From: Ian Kahn - Ham <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Key Down Amps
To: [hidden email]
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Actually, Cookie, if you read Steve Jobs' biography, you will find he's
quite adamant about Apple's core competency.  It is *their* hardware,
*their* software, the integration between the two, and, most
importantly, the whole end-user experience using and interacting with
that hardware and software.

73,

--Ian

Ian Kahn, KM4IK
Roswell, GA
[hidden email]
K3 #281, P3 #688

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Re: Key Down Amps - Now really OT!

Bill W4ZV
Lu Romero - W4LT wrote
The core competency of Apple is their CULTURE MARKETING PROWESS!  
I disagree...Apple has gone far beyond where it could have with only cult followers.  

Apple's advantage is in its broad vision of an ecosystem encompassing all of their products including content.  iPod + iTunes, iPhone + iTunes + App Store, iPad + iTunes + App Store + iCloud.  iPod + iPhone + iPad all sharing some human interfaces consistently focused on ease of use, which makes it easy for customers to migrate to new products.  Hardware, software and content are synergistic across all products, making it difficult for a competitor to break into their system even with a better component.

73,  Bill  W4ZV



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Re: Key Down Amps - Now really OT!

Joe Subich, W4TV-4

> Hardware, software and content are synergistic across all products,
> making it difficult for a competitor to break into their system even
> with a better component.

Don't worry ... the US Department of Justice and EU Competition
Commission will decide The App Store/iTunes are anti-competitive
five years *after* Apple has managed to drive all of the other
manufacturers and content suppliers out of the market <G>.

73,

    ... Joe, W4TV


On 2/26/2012 6:09 PM, Bill W4ZV wrote:

>
> Lu Romero - W4LT wrote
>>
>> The core competency of Apple is their CULTURE MARKETING PROWESS!
>>
>
> I disagree...Apple has gone far beyond where it could have with only cult
> followers.
>
> Apple's advantage is in its broad vision of an ecosystem encompassing all of
> their products including content.  iPod + iTunes, iPhone + iTunes + App
> Store, iPad + iTunes + App Store + iCloud.  iPod + iPhone + iPad all sharing
> some human interfaces consistently focused on ease of use, which makes it
> easy for customers to migrate to new products.  Hardware, software and
> content are synergistic across all products, making it difficult for a
> competitor to break into their system even with a better component.
>
> 73,  Bill  W4ZV
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Re-Key-Down-Amps-Now-really-OT-tp7319989p7320230.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
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Re: Key Down Amps - Now really OT! [And thread closed.]

Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ
Administrator
Guys - We've already closed the Apple thread.

Eric
List moderator
  ---
www.elecraft.com


On 2/26/2012 5:30 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
> Don't worry ... the US Department of Justice and EU Competition
> Commission will decide The App Store/iTunes are anti-competitive
> five years *after* Apple has managed to drive all of the other
> manufacturers and content suppliers out of the market<G>.
>
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