Comments on: The Death of Feature and Function Marketing http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/ Everything about writing and marketing white papers Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:42:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Solar power electricity man http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-60568 Solar power electricity man Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:13:23 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-60568 Hi mike, Yes totally agree with you about the eliminating features comment. The I phone was also just released in Australia. The Hype around the new store selling them was crazy. Hi mike,

Yes totally agree with you about the eliminating features comment.

The I phone was also just released in Australia.

The Hype around the new store selling them was crazy.

]]> By: Michael Stelzner http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13923 Michael Stelzner Tue, 06 Mar 2007 17:29:41 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13923 Hi Jonathan, David and Eric; Thanks for you r comments. Actually Eric, I think eliminating features and selling benefits actually reduces copy. I made those benefits bullets up myself, so you are right that they are not in the best order. Mike Hi Jonathan, David and Eric;

Thanks for you r comments.

Actually Eric, I think eliminating features and selling benefits actually reduces copy.

I made those benefits bullets up myself, so you are right that they are not in the best order.

Mike

]]> By: Eric http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13922 Eric Tue, 06 Mar 2007 16:33:30 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13922 Michael, nicely done. Completely agree with your adaptations. The only tweak I'd make is to put the 4th bullet first because it sets the tone for the rest by establishing value on multiple dimensions. Do you find injecting benefits into features requires a bit more copy? I think the extra copy is a small price to pay for clarity whereas pure feature-function comes across as cryptic, although in this case, it's fairly clear. Michael, nicely done. Completely agree with your adaptations.

The only tweak I’d make is to put the 4th bullet first because it sets the tone for the rest by establishing value on multiple dimensions.

Do you find injecting benefits into features requires a bit more copy? I think the extra copy is a small price to pay for clarity whereas pure feature-function comes across as cryptic, although in this case, it’s fairly clear.

]]> By: David Leland http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13921 David Leland Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:48:59 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13921 Michael, Very good stuff. I can never understand why a company - especially one as savvy as Apple - would assume that its end-user would take the time to flush the benefit out of a feature. Especially with all the clutter out there today. I use the analogy with my clients of a car's air conditioner. By itself AC is just another feature of the car. But if you add that it keeps you cool on those blistering summer days the feature takes on new life. Thanks. Michael, Very good stuff. I can never understand why a company - especially one as savvy as Apple - would assume that its end-user would take the time to flush the benefit out of a feature. Especially with all the clutter out there today.

I use the analogy with my clients of a car’s air conditioner. By itself AC is just another feature of the car. But if you add that it keeps you cool on those blistering summer days the feature takes on new life.

Thanks.

]]> By: Jonathan Kantor http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13888 Jonathan Kantor Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:09:27 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13888 As a former Apple employee, I can tell you that this would not have occurred when the Mac was first introduced in the 1980s. I see this as the evidence of an innovative company that has become big, bureaucratic and lothargic. Unfortunately, this trend is a natural occurrence that happens to every small company as it grows into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Sadly, Apple seems to have forgotten their past and the elements that made them successful. While it's too early to tell how well the phone will sell because it hasn't been released yet, it's too expensive. It's a radical departure when you compare the success achieved by the very price-competitive iMac when it first came out in 1998, or the iPod today. As a former Apple employee, I can tell you that this would not have occurred when the Mac was first introduced in the 1980s.

I see this as the evidence of an innovative company that has become big, bureaucratic and lothargic. Unfortunately, this trend is a natural occurrence that happens to every small company as it grows into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Sadly, Apple seems to have forgotten their past and the elements that made them successful.

While it’s too early to tell how well the phone will sell because it hasn’t been released yet, it’s too expensive. It’s a radical departure when you compare the success achieved by the very price-competitive iMac when it first came out in 1998, or the iPod today.

]]> By: Michael Stelzner http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13884 Michael Stelzner Mon, 05 Mar 2007 18:34:22 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13884 Hi Jeff - Then why do they have such a great commercial at the bottom of the page. See http://www.apple.com/iphone/hello/ They would have been wise to leverage some of the implied messages ("A new way to say Hello!) into their copy. On a side note, Steve Jobs did a good amount of Disney-related movie integration there in that ad. Mike Hi Jeff - Then why do they have such a great commercial at the bottom of the page. See http://www.apple.com/iphone/hello/

They would have been wise to leverage some of the implied messages (”A new way to say Hello!) into their copy.

On a side note, Steve Jobs did a good amount of Disney-related movie integration there in that ad.

Mike

]]> By: Jeff R. http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13883 Jeff R. Mon, 05 Mar 2007 18:27:25 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13883 Hi Mike, I don't disagree with your assessment of Apple, but I guess what I'm saying is that they will market in phases. During the awareness generation stage, they aren't looking to segment their markets. I think they'll do that once the product launches, and that's when they'll start benefits messaging. Until that point, though, they risk alienating market segments through benefits messaging. Each feature has several benefits that they'll purpose for specific markets. Thanks for your response. Jeff Hi Mike,

I don’t disagree with your assessment of Apple, but I guess what I’m saying is that they will market in phases. During the awareness generation stage, they aren’t looking to segment their markets. I think they’ll do that once the product launches, and that’s when they’ll start benefits messaging.

Until that point, though, they risk alienating market segments through benefits messaging. Each feature has several benefits that they’ll purpose for specific markets.

Thanks for your response.

Jeff

]]> By: Michael Stelzner http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13882 Michael Stelzner Mon, 05 Mar 2007 18:19:54 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13882 Hi Jeff; While I respect your response, I think you are incorrect. Apple ALWAYS aims for maximum hype with its product launches. This should be no exception. If people do not understand what the heck an iPhone can do for them, they will not spend the $600 or place the advance orders. The iPhone is supposed to be a paradigm shift, but there is no discussion of user benefits in their messaging. If you click around on the Apple website, you will see this same problem with its other "currently available" products. I think the issue is that the advertising agencies understand that you cannot sell features, but the folks writing copy for the web are stuck back in the 1990s. Mike Hi Jeff;

While I respect your response, I think you are incorrect.

Apple ALWAYS aims for maximum hype with its product launches. This should be no exception.

If people do not understand what the heck an iPhone can do for them, they will not spend the $600 or place the advance orders.

The iPhone is supposed to be a paradigm shift, but there is no discussion of user benefits in their messaging.

If you click around on the Apple website, you will see this same problem with its other “currently available” products.

I think the issue is that the advertising agencies understand that you cannot sell features, but the folks writing copy for the web are stuck back in the 1990s.

Mike

]]> By: Jeff R. http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13880 Jeff R. Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:49:16 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13880 Feature messaging, at the start, is the right way to go. At this point, Apple wants the public to know what the device can do, not what it can do for you. They don't stand to benefit by overheating demand three months before the product hits stores. Instead, it seems like they are building awareness, letting it cook a little while, and they will begin marketing different sets of benefits for different target markets (business, high end consumer, geek, etc.) Good, thought-provoking post. Feature messaging, at the start, is the right way to go. At this point, Apple wants the public to know what the device can do, not what it can do for you. They don’t stand to benefit by overheating demand three months before the product hits stores. Instead, it seems like they are building awareness, letting it cook a little while, and they will begin marketing different sets of benefits for different target markets (business, high end consumer, geek, etc.)

Good, thought-provoking post.

]]> By: David Airey http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13877 David Airey Mon, 05 Mar 2007 16:07:58 +0000 http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2007/03/05/the-death-of-feature-and-function-marketing/#comment-13877 Very well written Michael. I enjoyed reading this post. Very well written Michael. I enjoyed reading this post.

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