Unlocking a Better Deal for Consumers?

I came across a very interesting Quartz blog post on T-Mobile’s move to unlock iPhones. T-Mobile will start selling iPhones at full price, but consumers will not be required to lock into a two-year deal as they currently must do with other carriers. The author's pov: this shift in the competitive pricing model landscape could transform how Apple does business here in the US.

It made me stop for just a marketing minute to think about the implications.

The theory: increased transparency will result in better consumer understanding of the true costs and value of options, thereby leading to greater diversity and choice for consumers. This would strike both the handsets themselves as well as pricing models. Apple's premium price point vs. Android handsets would become more apparent to consumers. That could dramatically shift the Apple v. Android battlefield, not to mention carrier battles on the service plan front. To make his case, the author points to India's mobile market where fierce competition drives data plans as low as $2 per month. Yes, you read that right...two dollars. 

As a die-hard consumerist, I'd love to see market forces break down the oligarchical market of telco and create more, better choices for people. More product options and innovation at lower prices. More service plan alternatives at lower prices. I don't know about you, but I'd love to have a phone service data plan better suited to my needs and use than the one I currently have to utilize.

This might make it tougher for certain companies to maintain their stranglehold on market share, but IMO it would be better for the consumer. What do you think?

The Lure of the Measurable: Why Social Strategies Fail

Charlene Li of Altimeter is one of the smartest people on the planet, especially when it comes to the world of social. Once again, she's nailed it. In her recent post: Why Most Social Strategies Fail, Charlene highlights the key issues underlying where most companies come up short, namely failing to create coherent social business strategy. She points out that while many companies have a series of tactics, those tactics all too often are not guided by a set of clear business objectives. In fact, in many cases there is no strategy, just a series of tactics without a clear goal or purpose.

Ted Simon Says: Hal-le-LOO-yah! I couldn't have put it better myself and only wish I had.

Tactics Over Strategy

It's been my observation and experience that this "tactics before/instead of strategy" issue has been growing steadily over the past 15-20 years. Not coincidentally, that mirrors the growth of the development of the Internet and digital marketing.

We all know how helpful it's been to utilize the measurability of the digital channel to inform our marketing efforts. However, there is also the downside of overdoing this practice. In this period, I've seen many marketing and business leaders falling prey to what I call, "the lure of the measurable."

The Lure of the Measurable

In the digital marketing and business world so many activities are measurable via the vast array of tools that have developed that they replace strategic thinking with executing their way to success. In many cases, upfront strategic thinking and planning have been replaced by a business culture nurtured on testing tactics, selecting the best performers and iterating up the performance ladder. This mentality has clearly spilled into the world of social as well.

A wise colleague once told me: "You can't A/B test your way to success with a flawed strategy." That pretty much sums up the issue of tactics before/instead of strategy in my mind.

So, how about you? Do you have a clear business strategy guiding your social tactics, or do you have it the other way around?