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OS/2 Shareware BBS: 8 Other
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framing.txt
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#: 70709 S20/Marketing OS/2 Apps
09-Jan-96 07:31:23
Sb: #70447-framing the problem
Fm: Samuel G. Little 70544,10
To: Charles Stirling 100010,1433
Sorry for the late reply, Charles. I could have sworn I responded to your
message, but can't prove it now, so here it goes:
> Wouldn't this depend more on what the use "sees" of the product
> then the underlying innovativness of parts of it? If a product is
> doing something really new then getting across what this is will
> be the difficult part to any category of user.
This depends on the buyer. Some people like to look "under the hood" before
they buy ... often despite the fact that it doesn't really tell them anything
<g>. For instance, look at the difference between programs like Quicken and
full accounting packages. Even though Quicken is easy to use, an Accountant
who was brought up using the Double-Entry bookkeeping system probably isn't
going to use it because, in the background, the system isn't DEBS (or, at
least, I don't think it is, not having used it myself).
> 1. Time, the user interested will have to have the inclination to
> take the time to learn it and this may well be the innovators,
> early adopters who will try it to see if it does something better.
> Such as a frame based word processor.
This is certainly true. But one also has to know where the potential market is
"coming from." The check-like Quicken and the more ledger-like accounting
packages cater to different people; they may be able to get the same work
done, but only one interface is likely to be reasonable to those distinct
market segments.
For your example of frame-based word processors, I personally find them
unwieldy: they don't work like I do and I get frustrated using them for any
period of time. That's just me, though, and I'm not a DTP type, who
appreciates frames more than I.
> 2. Offers an obvious improvement then it can quickly become a new
> standard and has wider category of user appeal. Like the little
> help windows that pop up under a curser -- these have only been
> around for a relativly few years, but are now almost a necessity.
Falls into the same trap. To some, it's a boon; to others it drives them
crazy. Even CUA, which by most definitions became a standard, never got global
acceptance ... and perhaps wasn't worth becoming one, depending on who you
talk to.
On top of that, a standard is a difficult thing to live up to. Personally I'd
rather be known for a good application than for a good interface that became a
standard. It's like being admired for the particular shape of a doorknob,
whether or not the door actually opens when you turn it. <g>
> If the inovation is behind the sceans then only the innovators,
> early adopters will be interested. Like "Rushmore ?sp" in FoxPro.
> So, if it is in this catigory then marketing at this group needs
> to emphasize this advantage, but only in the technical write ups.
I think any feature needs to by 'hawked' to the right market segment(s),
whether innovative or not ("New look, same great taste!"). The question is
less whether the new or old features can be used to sell to a segment, but
whether the presence of the old or new features present a liability to the
same markets, and how does one find out?
> If it is a totally new catigory of application, like Notes, then
> trying to get what it actually does must be the focus of marketing.
Not just does, but *can do*.
--Sam. (Warped & using GCP 2.22)
sam_little@iacnet.com
#: 70795 S20/Marketing OS/2 Apps
09-Jan-96 19:42:26
Sb: #70709-framing the problem
Fm: Charles Stirling 100010,1433
To: Samuel G. Little 70544,10 (X)
Sam,
I'm not particularly looking for specific replays in this discussion. To me
it is just sort of thinking out loud on how marketing is done, and I find a
lot of OS/2 marketing leaves something to be desired. Probably. as this
discussion series hopefully is trying to address, a lot has to be done by very
small businesses that need to do it on a shoe string. So, how does one do it.
What questions to ask, where does one go to get answeres.
Hopefully the ongoing discussions will help anyone trying to market, give
ideas to think about anyway.
Charles
#: 70828 S20/Marketing OS/2 Apps
10-Jan-96 05:40:12
Sb: #70795-framing the problem
Fm: Samuel G. Little 70544,10
To: Charles Stirling 100010,1433
> Probably. as this discussion series hopefully is trying to address,
> a lot has to be done by very small businesses that need to do it
> on a shoe string. So, how does one do it. What questions to ask,
> where does one go to get answeres.
So far, in the book, I've seen a lot of straightforward suggestions that are
quite sensible and not often seen. I gather you are still stuck without it?
Perhaps we need to spend a little more time discussing the actual topics in
the book, rather than launching into more or less practical applications.
I'm starting to fall behind, and the monitor on my ThinkPad, where I run GCP
from, died this evening. I've had to plug my home PC's monitor into the
Multiport to do anything. Crummy timing, really. <sigh>
--Sam. (Warped & using GCP 2.22)
sam_little@iacnet.com
#: 71104 S20/Marketing OS/2 Apps
12-Jan-96 18:37:07
Sb: #70828-framing the problem
Fm: Charles Stirling 100010,1433
To: Samuel G. Little 70544,10
> So far, in the book, I've seen a lot of straightforward
> suggestions that are quite sensible and not often seen. I gather
> you are still stuck without it?
Yes, has to be ordered here in England with delivery, when when it comes in
:-(.
Charles
#: 70725 S20/Marketing OS/2 Apps
09-Jan-96 10:07:44
Sb: #70503-framing the problem
Fm: Shmuel Metz (Atid/2) 71054,3066
To: Jon Duringer[IdeaFa 71732,3361
>> It only takes three words of marketing to overcome this resistance: YES,
YES, YES. IOW, the obstacle that you are highlighting is -not- overcome in
marketing; it is overcome by the code crafter. <<
Sorry, but you're jumping the gun; there are thousands of programs out there
on the Internet and various collections on floppies and on CDROM. No one has
time to evaluate all of them. Before you can answer the user with "YES, YES,
YES" (is that Sally's line?) you must get him to ask the question. How do you
plan to get the user to even look at your applications without some form of
marketing?
Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz, SysProg & JOAT, Atid/2, Team OS/2, Team PL/I
#: 70802 S20/Marketing OS/2 Apps
09-Jan-96 20:30:06
Sb: #70725-framing the problem
Fm: Terry Norton [IdeaFarm] 71540,3161
To: Shmuel Metz (Atid/2) 71054,3066 (X)
>> How do you plan to get the user to even look at your applications
>> without some form of marketing?
I suppose we could advertize like AMEX, VISA, and MasterCard do, but it isn't
necessary. An author will specify, like they do now, how the app may be paid
for: cash, check, credit card, IdeaFarm meter, gold coin,...
It's not IdeaFarm (the meter) that's being sold, it the apps. Authors and
vendors will still need to advertize just like they do now if they want people
to use their product. With the benefit that meterware provides the user, it
would behoove authors to promote that their app is metered.
Terry [IdeaFarm] (OS2BVEN 1) OS/2ing on 09-Jan-96 at 7:24p Vermont time