Got me to thinking...

[Nick]

I was driving to work this morning & heard about this riot/giant scrap between the workers in the Chinese factory that makes the new iPhone5
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/story/2012 ... 57836272/1
which got me to thinking, fight aside, I believe they've already sold 5 million of the things in the first three days! I know they haven't made those 5million in the 3 days but they still must be knocking these things out at a great rate of knots. The guys on the line are probably lucky to be getting the equivalent of 20 cents a phone, that's on the generous side I'm guessing but I like to be optimistic . Cost of parts spread out over the millions they're going to be producing, maybe $100 tops, a phone?
Don't know what they're selling for in OZ, here in NZ they're going to retail for $1000 Good on Apple for their marketing, they're making an absolute killing that's all I can say.
I know they make a good product (I'm even considering buying my first iPad to run some music apps I really like ) but really?? that much of a profit? Just wish I could convince guitar players they need my guitars like they need a new fangled phone.

[deadedith]

Just wish I could convince guitar players they need my guitars like they need a new fangled phone


Amen to that, brother!

[Kim]

Just wish I could convince guitar players they need my guitars like they need a new fangled phone.

Just build'm so they can download a tuner app, work as a remote for ur tele, send an sms, take photos, guide you home from the pub via GPS and interrupt you mid song while they download an important update and the customers will be camp'in out on ur footpath for a week to claim the next new release Nick....Oh and don't forget the golden rule, start off v1.1 with just a 2 meg camera built in to a saprano uke and then mov'em up in body size and resolution each new release. This leaves a shitload of elbow room for the marketing hyperbole that will have all those who only ever dreamed of an instrument with a '10meg' camera as is 'rumored' to be released in the "still on the drawing board" v7.4 jumbo, all claiming in their nagging suri voices, that your the new Jesus.

Cheers

Kim

[nnickusa]

Wouldn't mind selling one.......

[Nick]

Just wish I could convince guitar players they need my guitars like they need a new fangled phone.

Just build'm so they can download a tuner app, work as a remote for ur tele, send an sms, take photos, guide you home from the pub via GPS and interrupt you mid song while they download an important update and the customers will be camp'in out on ur footpath for a week to claim the next new release Nick....Oh and don't forget the golden rule, start off v1.1 with just a 2 meg camera built in to a saprano uke and then mov'em up in body size and resolution each new release. This leaves a shitload of elbow room for the marketing hyperbole that will have all those who only ever dreamed of an instrument with a '10meg' camera as is 'rumored' to be released in the "still on the drawing board" v7.4 jumbo, all claiming in their nagging suri voices, that your the new Jesus.

Cheers

Kim

Certainly some ideas to ponder on there Kim & just maybe what I'm missing in my marketing Actually even embedding a GPS locator chip so if it gets stolen & it can be found via an app on your iPhone/iPad could be added to that list.
I just can't get my head around the "Must have attitude" that not only Apple (but they're the best at it) but other companies have worked hard to engender. What makes somebody camp out for days just so they can be the first to get a device that is already being used (smartphone), will still be available months down the track and then pay a shitload for just to be 'the first' is beyond this old brain. Is it human nature or is it a marketing strategy that's been adopted to convince people this is the attitude they must have? I realise the product must also back up the hype and so far Apple haven't had too many lemons in that respect.

[deadedith]

I read a great book a number of years ago, title "Captains of Consciousness", a play on words to contrast with the well-known term "Captains of Industry". And the title says it all; the important thing is not the product, but the marketing, which amounts to changing the consciousness, the feeling, the heartfelt emotions of people, via the media, and toward a given product. Starting with the wordlview that human nature is malleable, a tremendous amount of effort in psychology, sociobiology and other 'sciences' was financed with the direct aim of discovering how to mold how we respond. It is the whole purpose of television. It was the reason that women's magazines were created. It has worked beyond anyone's imagination. The ad men know how to control human behavior.
As my father-in-law, a salesman, once told me - "You don't sell the steak, you sell the sizzle"
Unless we are vigilant, we here in the USA may miss the fact that powerful interests pay huge dollars to sway the very way we feel and think, to their advantage.

So: pay an advertising firm a hundred grand or more and they can guarantee you will be getting orders, more than you can fill!

[Kim]

So: pay an advertising firm a hundred grand or more and they can guarantee you will be getting orders, more than you can fill!

The next question of course is how much you need to pay to guarantee a win at the next election??...I recon there's a few in many countries and from both sides of the political fence that already know the answer to that one...Ah democracy, clearly worth more than the other lot thought it was.

Cheers

Kim

[deadedith]

I read the book 20 years ago it seems. I just went online to buy the book used when this summary popped up. This is a synopsis, 8 pages long, the uh....Weight..of the argument makes it necessary reading. It is more important today than last year, or last decade, or last century.
If you take time to read it closely, I'd really like your comments.
http://www.onthewing.org/user/Ev_Four%2 ... vision.pdf

If you don't have the time to read it, bookmark it. Trust me on this one. Your church should read it, pastors/elders at least should know this short article and really think about it. It would be perfect for a lecture or reading group.

Geez I sound like an evangelist. I'm not.

[Bob Connor]

iphone5.jpg (29.86 KiB) Viewed 11033 times

[deadedith]

They lie, though

[Ormsby Guitars]

Actually, they cost $207 to build (parts and labour).

But, that's like saying a $3000 guitar ONLY has $500 in woods.

What about development costs, marketing, shop fronts, storage, shipping, software development, patents, etc etc etc. The original iphone cost one billion to develop. You'd want a decent markup to cover that.

Not to mention the number of people that purchase a phone outright is very small. Ive never paid for a phone. It's included in the contract. The contract I have is the same price with or without the iphone.

Marketing is a funny thing. Done right, it works wonders (look at that whole Kony 2012 thing). But, you have to have the product to back it up, for the long term customer loyalty.

[woodrat]

Great thread Nick and lots of great comments. Psychology is one of my favorite subjects providing both insight and entertainment in one:)

John