Product feature or product design/aesthetics as the key to brand success is a highly debatable subject. Product design is important as that is the first thing that anyone notices off the shelf in retail or on the website which attracts the attention of the people. The product feature is equally important as if it lacks key elements that define the product, it’s of no use either. So, both the design and the feature need to go hand in hand to build a successful brand (Townsend, Montoya & Calantone, 2011). However, if I have to take a side, I would say that product feature overpowers the looks and feel of the product to build a brand success.
Analyzing that functionality and performance are important over the aesthetics of the product let’s take an example of Apple as laptop manufacture vs Dell. Steve Jobs once said that Apple makes good-looking Mac Book. While Dell doesn’t make any such claims and they do manufacture average looking laptops. Each of these company has their own separate operating system and features. With Apple, one gets limited functionality and user experience if compared to Dell. However, if we look at the sales figure, Dell overpowers Apple in the laptop sector. This is because of them providing more varieties with different features and functionality at a cost point below what Apple offers. Apple regardless of having a good design doesn’t sell as much. In the other case, Apple produces smartphones with a whole lot of features, excellent camera quality, display, and operating system, however, lacks behind other companies in term of design and varieties like Samsung and Sony. However, they’ve more sells as compared to the other two company. So, the look and feel of the product doesn’t ensure that people buy it but rather the features that the product includes.
Looking further, if you’re looking for a cleaner for removing the stain in your house, would you choose a product which is well packaged and looks good or would you rather go with one that simply gets the job done? The answer is obvious, people will go with the one that gets the stain removed. Another example can be a car, that simply looks fantastic but it doesn’t have one key feature which is the brakes. Would you buy the car? Obviously, not. Thus, the design might get the attention, an extra look of the customer but if the product lacks the feature, it’s good as nothing.
In conclusion, product feature defines the brand and helps build the business from the ground up to start focusing on the design in the longer run. Product without good design is workable with if the product lacks essential functions, it’s unusable. Thus, product function is key to brand success over product form.
References
Townsend, J., Montoya, M., & Calantone, R. (2011). Form and Function: A Matter of Perspective. Journal Of Product Innovation Management, 28 (3), 374-377.
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Product feature or product design/aesthetics as the key to brand success is a highly debatable subject. Product design is important as that is the first thing that anyone notices off the shelf in retail or on the website which attracts the attention of the people. The product feature is equally important as if it lacks key elements that define the product, it’s of no use either. So, both the design and the feature need to go hand in hand to build a successful brand (Townsend, Montoya & Calantone, 2011). However, if I have to take a side, I would say that product feature overpowers the looks and feel of the product to build a brand success.
Analyzing that functionality and performance are important over the aesthetics of the product let’s take an example of Apple as laptop manufacture vs Dell. Steve Jobs once said that Apple makes good-looking Mac Book. While Dell doesn’t make any such claims and they do manufacture average looking laptops. Each of these company has their own separate operating system and features. With Apple, one gets limited functionality and user experience if compared to Dell. However, if we look at the sales figure, Dell overpowers Apple in the laptop sector. This is because of them providing more varieties with different features and functionality at a cost point below what Apple offers. Apple regardless of having a good design doesn’t sell as much. In the other case, Apple produces smartphones with a whole lot of features, excellent camera quality, display, and operating system, however, lacks behind other companies in term of design and varieties like Samsung and Sony. However, they’ve more sells as compared to the other two company. So, the look and feel of the product doesn’t ensure that people buy it but rather the features that the product includes.
Looking further, if you’re looking for a cleaner for removing the stain in your house, would you choose a product which is well packaged and looks good or would you rather go with one that simply gets the job done? The answer is obvious, people will go with the one that gets the stain removed. Another example can be a car, that simply looks fantastic but it doesn’t have one key feature which is the brakes. Would you buy the car? Obviously, not. Thus, the design might get the attention, an extra look of the customer but if the product lacks the feature, it’s good as nothing.
In conclusion, product feature defines the brand and helps build the business from the ground up to start focusing on the design in the longer run. Product without good design is workable with if the product lacks essential functions, it’s unusable. Thus, product function is key to brand success over product form.
References
Townsend, J., Montoya, M., & Calantone, R. (2011). Form and Function: A Matter of Perspective. Journal Of Product Innovation Management, 28 (3), 374-377.