Last week I had a meeting with some people at CeBIT in Hanover and took the opportunity to have a quick look round for a couple of hours. To put this in perspective, it’s about as ambitious as being in the UK and taking half a day to look round London - all you’re going to get is a fleeting impression. It’s a giant show in over 20 halls and I couldn’t help wondering what an unpleasant experience moving from one hall to another would be if we were having a real German winter.
The mood generally seemed to be that CeBIT was declining in importance, underlined in mobile by the fact that Nokia, Moto and ePlus (one of Germany’s largest operators) were not attending this year. These names join other big cheeses such as Philips, Sony, Dell and HP.
However, one idea caught my eye that’s interesting is the Life Phone, produced by Emporio in Austria. It’s specifically being produced for the over 50’s consumer and has features like a big screen, large buttons and extra loud speakers for the hard of hearing. It also has an alarm function, that alerts others if you get into trouble.
Conversely, it doesn’t have stuff like a camera.
Will it succeed? Hmmm, I’m sceptical about the breadth of appeal. For starters, lumping people of 50 in with those who are 90 doesn’t sound much of a marketing strategy to me. Imagine suggesting that your target market was 1 year to 40 year olds and you can see the range they’re “targeting” here.
I also think that expecting people to carry around a badge saying “hey, you know what? I’m an old fart and can’t cope with this new fangled technology” is going to limit the market. I’d humbly suggest that if you’re going to launch a handset with more appeal to older people that differences need to be pretty subtle. Sure, make buttons and screens bigger and the handsets more simple, but I think there’s a real risk of patronising the target market here - never a good thing.
Oh and give them a camera. Just coz they’re getting on a little doesn’t mean that they don’t want photos, you know.
Image from the BBC.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/05/23/vodafone_phone_phobe/
http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/index.cfm?go=promotions.vodafonesimply
….nothing new and has been quite successful at least to my knowledge in Holland when we launched it there in 2005 -targeting the over 50s…
Over the past 2 years since working in Europe again I have met many people championing with great pride a phone from 6 years ago - supporting their “little loved ones” for being simple and straight forward such as the Nokia 6310 - http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_6310-pictures-240.php - which seems to be the most common phone retained amongst the loyal out there…
Whilst many of us these days swap our old models for new (like a mid-life crisis 40something would do at model swingers party) there are still many who stay loyal with one model - and even this is quite common in my experience amongst the Digital media set - which shocks me when I meet fellow industry colleagues who just don’t get mobile or are not interested in mobile phones that have a “kitchen sink thrown in” approach - they are interested in just that “a PHONE” with sms txting as an “extra feature”
I think targeting just over 50somethings is interesting as Vodafone Simply has done… but even those amongst the “leading edge” of my peers are holding tight of their 2000/2001 phone model…in many cases their bond is so tight…but simplicity is what many people want…though I wonder what is the actual percentage ratio;
possibly 60% simple - 40% hi-tec latest - feels about right - but this is a feeling based on social observations - and sweeping glances in my metro carriage each morning on who is using which mobile…
However if you promoted phones at 20- or 30somethings as being “simple” they would run a mile! But many hold true to a phone which in 2000/2001 was considered “cutting edge” at its time of release (and promotion) seems to contradict the desire to own a simple phone…or to be seen wanting one - simple should also be sexy like the iPhone
Teenagers would rather die than be seen with a “simple phone” - but many I have talked with in Europe prefer also that their phone is simple to use (even if it has all the latest gizmos attached!) the iPhone seems to be simple from a UI perspective - large icons and chunky graphics…isn’t this about being “simple” whilst being cutting edge?
Whereas my experience in Asia (S.Korea and Japan) my observation amongst over 50somethings being that many embrace the latest gadgets - in Asia mobiles are promoted heavily as being a “young generation” product - and many over 50s are buying into this as being seen to retain a youthful appearance - wanting to be seen as being modern - in Asia many ages change their phones less than every 9 months…
My father-in-law in S.Korea is 62 and he has the latest LG handset and changes his ringtones with one thumb daily (the songs being from his past!) and plays games and watches streaming TV with the control his other thumb! His phone is very complicated but he loves it and is fascinated by how much more can be crammed into this device - now he is looking into the mobile (handphone) that he can see who is at his front door, open his door at home with via the front door security camera! And he uses the latest GPS map technology whilst in his car - far from simple but actually he swears all of this helps make his life “more simple!”
I think it’s a cultural thing also - in Asia they embrace new technology whilst we in Europe tend to be a bit slow (or generally not as embracing) of the new gadgets…simple or not!
BTW a good book to read…http://www.amazon.com/Laws-Simplicity-Design-Technology-Business/dp/0262134721
The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life) (Hardcover)
by John Maeda (Author)