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Does the consumer really need to be 'educated?'
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I'm in Malta this week attending an annual international press conference by the IFA, a German association that hosts a large consumer electronics conference, and I'm hoping to hear some enticing tidbits on smartphones and embedded wireless. This morning, though, I was attending one of the panel sessions that focused on consumer electronics projections for the U.S. market when I heard one of the speakers blame a lack of growth in a certain area (not wireless) on that industry's inability to "educate the consumer."
I've heard this same excuse over the course of my career from numerous wireless industry executives. Regardless of whether I was asking about the lack of interest in a certain mobile device or the dearth of consumers purchasing over-the-air music downloads--the response from so many has been to blame it on the uneducated consumer.
But isn't today's consumer smart enough that we shouldn't have to "educate" them on how to use a smartphone or purchase mobile content or download a mobile app? And if they aren't, then perhaps the real answer is that we are making it too complicated--or we have a product, service or device that the consumer doesn't want or need.
I think this phrase "educating the consumer" needs to eliminated from every wireless industry executive's vocabulary. Instead, let's focus on creating products, services and applications that don't require a lesson or a manual. Isn't it time for ease of use to be a priority? --Sue
Comments
Posted by Bob Hamilton | April 17, 2009 - 11:59am
Sue, you are absolutely dead-on right! The notion that 'they' need to be 'educated' is one of the most common cop-outs of failing industries, companies and professions.
Posted by Dr. Bubba | April 17, 2009 - 2:25pm
With a name like Bubba, i need to be educated.:)
Actually there are about 5 to 10 percent of the consumers that are early adopters. There are 5 to 10 percent that are laggards or late adopters. The rest are in the middle. Most studies on those in the middle show that there is a need for education of consumers in order for them to adopt a technology. (Rogers, et al 2003)
Posted by Anonymous | April 17, 2009 - 2:49pm
I totally agree with your article that addressed the "..uneducated consumer..". Our technology needs to be as easy as the phone is/was on the kitchen wall. My grandparents didn't need a manual to use it. The technical sophistication of the world runs the entire spectrum and is not based on IQ. Consumers should have a choice to buy tech at the level they can consume/understand.
Don't get me wrong, I love new technology as much te next guy/girl but have a spot in my heart for people like my aging mother who doesn't need a camera and MP3 player in her phone. I think cloud (or cloud like 3rd party vendors) services will win the war because people can have as many features as they desire with one to many devices.
I have been a proponent of KISS (the principle not the band) for a number of years. The market will be better using a fresh look at how we push technology onto a unwanting consumer (albeit the unwanting group is getting smaller).
Posted by Cellphonist | April 18, 2009 - 7:10am
Sue, I think you've mixed two different things. You're right that you can't rely on "education" to solve consumers' frustration with a product or their lack of interest. But you're wrong to say that *educating the consumer" should be banished from a wireless executive's vocabulary. You're confusing the advertising of features with the real benefit of helping inform and educate consumers on how a wireless device or service could make their lives better.
Everyone agrees that keeping things simple is the best approach but even simple things can be made more useful by "education". It's just we call them instructions and we don't think twice about them. Have you ever followed a recipe or read the label before taking medicine The task was simple but you still needed to be "educated" to get the most benefit.
When it comes to wireless devices, even ones with simple user interfaces like the iPhone can be made more useful with "education". Here's a simple example. You want to put the icon of your favorite application on the home screen but you don't know how. Wouldn't you want to be "educated" on how to do it? It's simple when you know how, but not everyone is as tech-savvy as the readers of your column.
Let's not forget about "education". Don't use it as an excuse for a bad product design. Make education available in simple terms and make it availabe when, where and how consumers want it.
Posted by Anonymous | April 18, 2009 - 7:33am
Fully agree, Sue. These same people were the ones that had to pick their jaws up off of the floor when iPhone made sense of apps over mobile.
By the way, do you see voice recognition and voice command functionality in the input process anytime soon?
Chip
Posted by Alex Grech | April 18, 2009 - 3:36pm
Hi Sue. I was in the audience at IFA in Malta too, heard the same remark, and it rankled with me as well. Maybe 'education' was the wrong choice of words, and perhaps the emphasis should have been on clear communication. But we've still got far too many companies designing stuff for geeks and people who love to read complicated manuals - when most users just want something and intuitive and 'get on with it.' Which is why Theresa and many others love their iPhone.
Posted by Chief Wireless Executive | April 29, 2009 - 8:03am
Them pesky consumers are the root of all our economic problems. They keep the economy in recession. They don't want pay more for useless, maze like applications. I say fire all those consumers. I say send all those consumers to reform school. Also we'll hire lobbyist to enact new laws that will force consumers to buy our stuff. If that does not improve consumer morale, then tax them -gas tax, cell phone tax, electricity tax, bridge tax etc.- and give us some of their tax money. It's how business is done nowadays. Wonder if the Harvard Biz Profs have thought if this?
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