- Why is it that we want our belongings to do more for us than just function well?
- Why are we willing as soon as we can afford it, to pay extra for things with appealing forms?
If a company release a brand new product which is the first of its kind in the market, they have total freedom and flexibility. Zero competitors mean the company can determine a price that suit's them and form an image for the product that is simply satisfactory among its market (the original iPod for example). However, once competitor products are released into the market (the Creative Zen MP3 Player for instance), a satisfactory image is no longer acceptable. This is because both products perform the same functions, so the only differentiating factor between the two music players is their respective designs. This is why design plays such a massive part in the creation of a product; competition in the market.
So, why do we choose a product based on its image and not solely on what it does? Today's society is very materialistic, as people must have the best they can get. We are driven by other people's opinions and what society suggests is correct; meaning if an iPod is hyped up in the media and it becomes widely purchased, 'everyone who's anyone' will have to have one! As Creative Zen released a rival product, Apple released several new adaptations of the iPod, such as the iPod Shuffle, Nano and more recently the iPod touch. These new products come in different shapes and sizes as well as many more new colours, which soon transformed the iPod into a fashion accessory as well as a music player.
The above MP3 players have very similar specifications. Both are 16GB, have a colour display and support multi-media playback. The only differences appear to be that the Zen has a slightly larger screen and a marginally longer battery life. However, their respective prices don't reflect their eqaulity, as this particular Creative Zen is advertised at £119.99 on their website, whereas the iPod Nano is priced at £149.99 on the Apple website. So surely the Creative Zen is way ahead in terms of sales figures? Infact, Apple's iPod Nano is by far and away the market leader and has sold many more than the Creative Zen. This is because of the design of the two products and the company's reputation/presteige. The Creative company isn't as well known or as respected in the industy as Apple, who are a long standing producer of technological products. In addition to this, the Zen product is available in black only and sports a somewhat bulky design; whereas, the iPod Nano is available in many bright, appealing colours and is designed to fit nicely into your pocket/hand and features unusual, quirky control buttons unlike the standard control buttons on the Zen. The superior design and reputation of the Nano allows it to be priced much higher than its rival product, which functions in almost exactly the same way.
