Following up on an article that I first published on Social Media Today and then on the Online Community Blog, I want to share a chart that both B2B and B2C marketer should pay attention to. In the article, I discuss lessons for marketers on how Apple uses its customer community to create tremendous separation between their market share (and sales trajectory) and that of their nearest competitor.
How Many of Your Customers Would Rather Give Up Sex Than Give Up Your Product?
According to a recent survey from telnav, when people were asked what they would give up rather than give up their mobile phone for a week, a large percentage of the respondents indicated that they would be willing to forgo life’s basic pleasures for their mobile phones. The results include 33% of respondents choosing their smart phone over sex and 22% willing to give up shoes for a week instead of their phones.
Though the sex-shoes-toothbrush categories may not fit your business, try thinking about your products and services in the same way. Would you customers give up your products for a week or the following?
- Their lunch break?
- The opportunity to leave an hour earlier?
- Coffee for a week?
As leading smart phone maker, Apple, has shown, it is more than your product and technology that creates stickiness. This level of passion comes from pairing a product with a community of users around it to share ideas on how they use the product, evangelize the brand, and learn from one another.