For starters, ESPN, nor any other companies have produced a new product. In the world we live in, everything is just a "mine is" better complex. Which is why my next statement is the keys to success when dealing with development and managing products. Ready? When everybody zigs, you zag.
Confused? You shouldn't be. Now a days, everyone sees a company produce a "innovative" products in response to a market opportunity, these are the questions asked to develop their next product. Can we make a cheaper version, can we make it smaller, or can we it simpler? This standard operation procedures that every company takes leads to market clutter and product confusion.
ESPN is no different in this regard with development and managerial decisions towards new products. However, is on a mission to become dominant in a smaller niche market known as sports mobile products designed to give the sports fan a simplex platform to get all their sports needs thru their mobile device. Because it is such a small niche, and one ESPN dominates already, they can ease their way to being the powerhouse by answering simple questions such as can we make it simpler?
If you look at this ESPN mobile product list, you see they have many products to manage yet they cover almost every sports fans needs via mobile devices. Whether its fantasy sports, or sports discussion to watching sports live through your phone, ESPN manages and covers it all.
Again, the best strategy when dealing with developing and managing products is to zag when everybody zigs, this allows you to be radically different thus making you a powerful contender to the market your after, however, if your big enough like ESPN, and your after a small niche such as sports mobile products, you could just always flood the market with everything needed and just watch as your brand name separates you from all the competition.
LONG LIVE ESPN!
I agree that in order to make your products stand out, you must "zig" when everyone else "zags". Differentiating your products amongst competitors products is the number one factor driving business growth. Consumers of these products need to be able to distinguish one product from the next in order to evaluate the cost-benefit relationship in terms of purchasing such a product. We live in a society where innovation is everything. Just because your product is a better version of an existing product, it doesn't automatically mean that its going to sell well. People need to be able to perceive value in what your offering, and this is best achieved by innovating. ESPN has been doing this ever since it first started. This is why, despite new players entering their market, they have continued to flourish and gain popularity throughout the world.
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