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Making a product to sell and the need for modernity

A long time ago, I saw a picture showing Focal's marketing rep talking to dealers. He proclaimed the Focal Sopra to be the best speaker ever, or something like that. In the picture he's showing a slide talking about the dimensions across which they weigh a new product, as well as how the sell it.


There were several dimensions which had nothing to do with sound quality, such as aesthetics, cost, etcetera and one of those dimensions has stuck with me ever since: modernity. The perception that a product is cutting edge.


Keep in mind, this is about perception, not function. The idea is that to sell a new speaker I have to convince you, the buyer, that you are buying something that is as up to date as possible. A related marketing dimension would be "novelty." That I have something for sale others do not.


Anyone who has shopped around for gear for more than a week knows what this means. Every quarter there are new products, which claim modernity and novelty. And every year I am struck by how few of these alleged innovations stick with us, or fail to prove themselves as ending all previous designs of the type.


Over the last 20 years, what modern or novel approach have you seen which has truly advanced in the marketplace, or which you think is under or over appreciated?


Best,

E
erik_squires
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,444 posts
 
@ebm
What’s you’re problem buddy?

While you are (always) here to criticize others...where is your positive side?

Since you are so negative with your reactions to others’ posts...it would seem that you could have a fresh approach.? Where is that fresh approach?

Would you be happier, by not reading/posting here? Maybe try to be a positive influence based on your knowledge?
rodman99999
6,131 posts
 
"Keep in mind, this is about perception, not function. The idea is that to sell a new speaker I have to convince you, the buyer, that you are buying something that is as up to date as possible.................... That I have something for sale others do not"     I can't think of ANY manufacturer, of anything, that doesn't do exactly that, to one degree or another.  It's how they stay in business!    ie: food, clothes, cars, motorcycles, Big Pharma, the, "government" and it's presidential candidates' manufactured BS, etc
erik_squires OP
16,059 posts
 
Hey @rodman99999 
 I can't think of ANY manufacturer, of anything, that doesn't do exactly that



You are 100% correct, of course! My point was not to chastise, but to point out that we are awash in it, and ask, how much of it ever sticks?


Best,
E


rodman99999
6,131 posts
 
Being Teflon(and broke) helps!
erik_squires OP
16,059 posts
 
Maybe a better question is, in the last 5 years, have you seen any new feature, more modern thing really stick?

The closest I can come to this is how much better DACs have become after 2010 (or so). And I'm not talking about MQA. In general many products have come to market that sound so much better with Redbook than they did in the 1990s. I don't know why, but I assume it has something to do with better jitter reduction/timing circuits. Very accurate oscillators got really cheap.
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