by Kevin Coupe
One of the things we write about a lot here on MNB, especially recently, is the importance of establishing a retail ecosystem.
Which means creating a store that doesn't just sell stuff, but becomes the first, best, and the only credible option for the consumer within a specific category.
That's what Apple has done, with a great deal of success. If you have an Apple computer, it's a pretty good bet that you also have an iPod, iPad, iPhone and use iTunes and maybe even Apple TV. They all work together, generally seamlessly, and keep the business within the family.
That's what Amazon is trying to do … its Fire phone and Fire TV and other new hardware offerings, it seems to me, are designed to keep you in the Amazon ecosystem. And we had a story yesterday how about Google is trying to imitate Amazon's strategy, working to keep people within the Google ecosystem as much as possible.
There are food stores that do this very well. I'd argue that this is what Dorothy Lane Markets and Wegmans have done, for example - they are very different stores, but for their customers, they serve as source and resource, part of their shopping DNA.
The commercial above, it seems to me, does a great job of illustrating the emotional connections that can be inherent in a smartly evolved ecosystem. In many ways, it is metaphor … but it also is much more than that, and is yet another example of Apple hitting it out of the park with a commercial that informs and moves the consumer.
It is an Eye-Opener, and a lovely piece of work.
- KC's View:
