How to Sell More MP3 Players than Apple.

I'm on a personal search for THE best pocket media player. I keep finding GREAT players made by companies other than Apple. Yet Apple owns more than 70% of the player market, and no one else seems to have a clue how to compete. I know the secret, and I'm sharing it with you.

1. Steve Jobs is the face of Apple. He is the consumer's personal connection to the products. We hang on his every word, as if he is Moses just down from Mount Sinai. He is rock star, preacher, father figure, and mage. Name the face of any other media player company. You can't.

2. Apple products have memorable names; Nano, Touch, iPhone. They are both clever and descriptive. At best the competing products have a short letter/number to remember. It is more likely they have some lengthy cryptic model number as name, and as such are as memorable as 37 digit prime numbers. Take the Samsung YP-P2JCB, the Sony NWZ-S738FBNC, or the Philips SA5245BT for example. All fantastic players, but could you remember that Sony model to tell a friend about it?

That's it. It's that easy.

Appoint someone to be the spokesman for your entire media player line, and put him on TV and the internet. Give him a title of respect, and make sure he knows your products inside-out and is a fan of them. Give him a 20 year contract to let people know you're serious and that he will be the face of your products for a long, long time.

Now find simple, memorable names for your products. Drop anything that isn't a real word. That's right, NO ZUNE! Zune is a limited vision at the moment. Some of you can keep your category names. I like "Walkman", Sony. We trusted it until you went crazy with your model names. Sandisk you're on the right track with Shaker, Clip, View, Connect, etc.. That explains why you're in second place. Samsung you need names not letters for your players.

Of course the products have to be great. The ironic thing is that many are. Samsung and Sandisk, for example, have great products lines. Yet we don't know anyone at Samsung or Sandisk, and so there is no one we really trust at either company.

This blog is about predictions. The 4th Dimension is time, and in time someone will catch on. I predict the next non-apple MP3 player you WANT to buy will have a name you can remember, and that you'll know who speaks for it. Samsung please contact me. I have some advice for you. ;)

4D