DODOcase
I don't think the world needs any more iPad or iPhone cases. At least, not without a little bit of innovation.
It's a mistake to think that Wal-Mart or McDonald's are businesses that exist in the middle of the bell curve. As far as audiences go, they are somewhere in the middle, but as far as strategy goes, they are on the fringes, and they're key selling point: cheap.
Cheap doesn't mean mass, cheap doesn't mean a good idea, and cheap doesn't even mean profitable. (Would you rather have a business with $200,000 in sales and $50,000 profit or $500,000 in sales and $10,000 in profit?) Cheap is one way of standing out, but certainly not in a market that's saturated.
One of my favorite success stories is DODOcase. Yes, they make a product that you can get anywhere else, for cheaper and faster. If you order a DODOcase, you don't get it in a few days. You pay more for it, and you have to wait a few weeks before they ship it.
So why do it?
Because of the story. Because the cases themselves are made by artisans here in the United States, in San Francisco. When you order one, they haven't started making it yet, and after you do place an order, they get to work making one for you. You can see videos on their site that feature their workshop, which looks like a far cry from the impressions people have in the backs of their minds of factories in China.
Works for iPad cases, but is that only because Apple is a superbrand? I don't think so. I think it could work for almost any product or industry. What about yours?
It's a mistake to think that Wal-Mart or McDonald's are businesses that exist in the middle of the bell curve. As far as audiences go, they are somewhere in the middle, but as far as strategy goes, they are on the fringes, and they're key selling point: cheap.
Cheap doesn't mean mass, cheap doesn't mean a good idea, and cheap doesn't even mean profitable. (Would you rather have a business with $200,000 in sales and $50,000 profit or $500,000 in sales and $10,000 in profit?) Cheap is one way of standing out, but certainly not in a market that's saturated.
One of my favorite success stories is DODOcase. Yes, they make a product that you can get anywhere else, for cheaper and faster. If you order a DODOcase, you don't get it in a few days. You pay more for it, and you have to wait a few weeks before they ship it.
So why do it?
Because of the story. Because the cases themselves are made by artisans here in the United States, in San Francisco. When you order one, they haven't started making it yet, and after you do place an order, they get to work making one for you. You can see videos on their site that feature their workshop, which looks like a far cry from the impressions people have in the backs of their minds of factories in China.
Works for iPad cases, but is that only because Apple is a superbrand? I don't think so. I think it could work for almost any product or industry. What about yours?