Since adolescence, our eyes have always been set on the newest toys around. As mentioned in Lily Du’s post, “Consuming the Consumers”, we often “feel the compulsion to constantly buy the latest and “greatest””. Whether it be plastic blonde Barbie dolls that we’d play with and easily toss aside or egg gadgets known as Tamagotchi’s, the consumer world has always been a strong advocator of the bandwagon effect. The iPod Touch was no different.
In such a consumption-hungry world, the need for companies to keep up with changes, especially in the fast paced IT industry, is crucial. Agreeing with what the blog post mentions, we never really look back on the objects we retire but merely look ahead to the new innovative goods the market will bring.
The evolution of the iPod. (Source)
What I find ironic, however, is that some companies may be impairing themselves in the process, in competition against themselves.
Apple, for example, hurt their iPod Touch sales, with the launch of the iPhone and iWatch. Yes, Apple is “positioning (their) product in the mind of the customer” (Ries and Trout) but they could have strategically planned to keep the iPod Touch in the loop.
While “the first mover has a large advantage that can make up for other shortcomings” (Ries and Trout), it doesn’t mean that they will always stay on top.