Play to win | Creating Winning Propositions

When I passed by an Apple authorised reseller this morning, I noticed a long queue of customers outside, presumably waiting to collect their pre-ordered iPhone 15s.?

For a fleeting moment, it struck me that maybe I should get one too. I looked at my own iPhone—a 2018 model—and started wondering if perhaps this was finally the time to upgrade. 10 minutes after fighting these demons, I got thinking about how, in reality, Apple creates top quality products that last for years. ?

Today, I am still using my 5-year-old iPhone and 13-year-old iMac (despite not being able to upgrade to the latest OS). So why do I still have the urge to upgrade when all my devices are still working well??

Is it Apple’s fault? Has Apple truly perfected its marketing, such that we cannot help but be seduced by every new product release?

These are convenient excuses. It’s not as though Apple builds products that crash after a year of use, forcing you to upgrade.?

Yet by examining these sometimes emotional reactions we can have towards Apple products, we can also draw inspiration from Apple’s marketing approach.?

I’ve broken it down to 3 components:

1. The proposition: what we’ve promised the customer we will solve. The proposition is anchored to a consumer need (or pain point) that we have a strong belief our products and services can meet. A good proposition should be brief (just like an elevator pitch). It should capture the need and the target group, followed by a clear and concise statement of the benefit that the company will deliver to these segments.
2. The reason to believe (what is the evidence in terms of features that our products offer): this is where the feature connects to the benefit. ? This is not about simply listing features. Instead, it’s about communicating how the feature benefits me (the consumer) if I were to use it. At this stage, less is more. What do I mean? Consumers can only recall limited number of features, so you need to choose the feature that best solves the largest pain point, and is easy for consumers to recall.? As a rule of thumb: communicate between 3 to 5 benefits through your features.?

If the outcome of (1) & (2) is to grab the attention & interest of the user, (3) is about smoothly transition interest into desire and action (apply/buy/use).

1. Connecting the promise and belief to the moment of truth, also understood as the user’s experience (sometimes called journey).? The moment of truth is when the consumer’s experience will be tested again what has been advertised and promised. At this stage, key consumer touch points—from website information and payment pages to the physical store to call centres—should flow well. Every single step of the journey, whether visuals, layout, copy, number of steps you take to receive the phone, or even the unboxing stage, each is thoughtfully arranged to reinforce their promise that you are getting the best product in the world, and that the money you paid is well worth it.?

Not many organisations can orchestrate this as well as Apple, and it is this single minded obsession that has made them the gold standard in marketing winning propositions.?

I would love to hear your thoughts on how we approach creating value in the context of delivering products and services. Do share your thoughts if this can be extended to other platforms or products.

If you would like to have conversation in this topic, I can be contacted at [email protected]

‘Play to win’—

I am sharing a series of articles in linked-in exploring topics around creating growth & delivering value in today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment.?

Drawing on my past work experience (across all previous roles from being a junior executive to senior leadership), I hope to consolidate my encounters with past failures and successes alike. I will also draw on the learnings from peers, colleagues, and mentors, as well as my time spent attending executive development programmes in top business schools over the last 34 years. ?

Written for leaders and executives, I hope to share across different topics, from proposition-led product design and business transformation, to marketing segmentation and client experience.?

My intention is to help readers;

1. sift out noises and distractions to focusing on what matters most,?
2. get a clearer view that allows you to connect the dots.?
3. approach the challenge or problem definition from different lens?

Hopefully, with the guides, frameworks, and tools that I’ll be sharing will be useful to you—whether may use them in your own reflection sessions, or to and discover insights, new epiphany that leads to clearer paths to solving challenges, and helping you deliver your absolute best work.?