Your product should be spectacular

by phil on Sunday Dec 13, 2009 1:03 AM

If Seth Godin's keyword is "extraordinary," how about I make mine, "spectacular." In particular, somehow make your product both a spectacle and usable.

Take for example Beatles Rock Band. I like how Harmonix spared no expense to re-create the rockstar experience. They could have easily given you a three-dollar mic the size of a toothbrush (like predecessors in the past), but instead they give you a sturdy-looking mic, a solid mic stand, and a shiny beautiful guitar. In other words, they added every little touch necessary to make their product cause a scene every time it's used.

All this equipment requires a big box, and as a result, the case is also an extension of the spectacle of the product. I was carrying this box down three flights of escalators in the mall a few days ago, and realized that that was the most effective advertisement ever. They should just pay people to wander the mall with one of those boxes—much more effective than an ad buy. I made so many parents mad, because as soon as I passed by their kids, they had to fend off cries of, "Ooh, Daddy look at that!"

Same with the iPhone. Same with the Motorola Droid. You want to build products that make other people want to say, "Hey, let me see that."