Differentiate the Product, Not Just the Device

When a core device is not technically superior to the competition—perhaps it is late, over-budget, or simply second-best—it is a mistake to give up on it. The device may have flaws, but the product can still be great if marketing does its job.

The focus must shift from differentiating the core device to differentiating the complete product.

The Marketing Task:

Instead of abandoning a technically adequate but unremarkable device, marketing must find other ways to make the total offering unique and superior. This is the essence of turning a device into a product. As seen in Device Homogenization Increases the Importance of Other Differentiators, this is often the primary battleground anyway.

This involves leveraging other, non-device characteristics:

• Superior Service and Support: Good Service is a Juggernaut Differentiator.
• A Trusted Brand Image: The Company Itself is a Differentiator.
• Unique Distribution Channels: Distribution Channels as Differentiators.
• Expert Salespeople: Salespeople as Differentiators.
• Targeting a Specific Niche: Focusing on a market segment where the device's specific characteristics, even if not the "best" overall, are a perfect fit for that segment's unique needs.

The trees may have blemishes, but the forest can still be beautiful. Marketing's role is to build that beautiful forest around the device.