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Apple Slows iPhones

12/29/2017

24 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

This fast-paced world leaves many of us longing for a simpler life with a more relaxed pace.  Slower does seem better, until we realize it’s our smartphone that’s slowing.  When that reality hits of millions of consumers at the same time, there’s bound to be a backlash, which is what Apple recently experienced after stating that some of its iPhones may not be as speedy as they could be.
 
You probably noticed the recent rash of news stories, all with a similar headline: Apple intentionally slows iPhones!  Such pieces  resonated with you personally if you own an older iPhone and experienced the frustration of waiting for apps to activate or data to download.
 
What sparked the media firestorm?  Two specific posts on the social media site Reddit were the main impetus.  Through a set of before-and-after Geekbench tests to measure his iPhone 6’s processor speed, a user named “TeckFire” found that his phone became much faster after replacing the phone’s battery.  His conclusion from the experience was that “Apple slows down phones when their battery gets too low, so you can still have a full days charge.”
 
He followed up his original post by later sharing what he said was “Apple’s official statement on the matter”:

“Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices. Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.”
 
Apple continued its explanation:
 
“Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.”
 
So, that sounds like Apple admitting it sometimes slows its smartphones.  Such a controversial confession from the world’s most valuable company doesn’t happen every day, which is why news media like CNN, Forbes, and The New York Times, quickly picked up the story.
 
Not surprising, Apple’s revelation has upset many consumers frustrated by the notion that their phones are not as fast as they could be.  One such customer who apparently has decided to turn his irritation into legal action is Stefan Bogdanovich of Los Angeles.  According to TMZ, he is suing Apple, claiming that the slowdown diminishes the phone’s value, as well as encourages users to needlessly abandon their older iPhones in favor of the latest models.  Others have filed similar complaints.

Bogdanovich’s lawsuit certainly doesn’t represent the first time a firm has been accused of planned obsolescence.  Indeed, some companies have resorted to the unethical approach, believing that the best way to build business was to impair their own products so customers would be more inclined to buy newer models, even though the ones they already owned were still very useable.
 
Besides being morally unacceptable, planned obsolescence is also a very risky business strategy.  Disappointing one’s own customers can easily drive them to competitors while causing serious self-inflicted damage to one’s own brand.  Why, then, would a market leader like Apple risk such a desperate scheme?
 
The most likely answer is it wouldn’t try planned obsolescence, which means something else probably explains Apple’s decision to slow its iPhone.  Brian X. Chen, the lead consumer technology writer for The New York Times, provides an excellent analysis of the company’s approach:
 
“What Apple is acknowledging is a power management technique in which the iPhone scales back processing power to keep the device running for longer when its battery health is low. Lithium ion batteries have a limited number of charge “cycles” before they can no longer be recharged properly. Apple’s website says the battery loses about 20 percent of its original capacity after 500 charge cycles.”
 
Chen summarizes: “if your iPhone is beginning to run out of battery capacity, these slowdowns might kick in to keep it running for longer or prevent it from shutting down unexpectedly.”  His expert opinion supports Apple’s assertion to TeckFire that slowdowns are ultimately in customers’ best interests: “Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices.”
 
If people have a choice between their smartphones running faster or slower, of course they’ll choose ‘faster.’  But, if the options are ‘going a little slower’ or ‘shutting down,’ most people will admit they can wait.  The trade-off is analogous to other experiences in life, like when driving.  While we almost always want to get to our destinations faster, most of us would rather slow down a little than have an accident.
 
So, it seems like the adage, “speed kills” also rings true for iPhones, which means Apple did its customers a favor by slowing their devices in order to avoid crashes.  Yes, in an ideal world battery life wouldn’t diminish over time and hardware would be completely stable, but even the world’s most valuable company must operate within current technology constraints.
 
Apple has since apologized for not informing consumers about its actions, and it has lowered the price of battery replacement on the affected iPhones from $79 to $29.  Perhaps more transparency sooner would have helped, but Apple really didn’t need to tell others what it was doing because its actions were in consumers’ best interests.  Although not an ideal example, Apple’s iPhone slowdown ultimately was “Mindful Marketing.”


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The Gift of Work

12/14/2017

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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

What’s the nicest gift anyone has ever given you?  Maybe it was a special toy when you were a child, or a critical gift of cash when you were in great need.  There’s another very important gift that many of us take for granted—work.  Thankfully, one caring company gives that opportunity to a special group of people who otherwise may never enjoy it.
 
“Really?  How is work a gift?” you may be wondering.  That claim understandably draws skepticism.  After all, work can be unpleasant, difficult, and even dangerous.  Some people spend the better part of their day, and their lives, trying to avoid work.  So, why call work a gift?
 
First, work is a source of livelihood for most of us.  We’re able to put food on the table and pay bills because we work.  Even more, however, meaningful work provides a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.  When we’re fortunate enough to do work that we’re good at and enjoy, work isn’t a curse, it’s a blessing.
 
Unfortunately, however, some people, don’t get the opportunity to work, through no fault of their own.  Because they have a disability, others assume they can’t do certain jobs and, therefore, regard them as unemployable.  Such is the situation for many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).
 
In 2016, Amy and Ben Wright opened Bitty & Beau's Coffee Shop in Wilmington, NC because they wanted to make the world a more welcoming place for those living with IDDs.  Some organizations might advance such a mission by donating a portion of their profits to a worthy cause.  The Wrights, however, act out their convictions in an even more direct way—they employ about 40 wonderful people who happen to have IDDs.
 
Why would the Wrights want to take on such a unique and likely challenging task?  For one thing, the owners have a direct connection to their special employee base.  Bitty and Beau, the shop’s namesakes and the Wright’s two youngest children, both have Down syndrome.  So, parental compassion is understandable at play.

What’s more, the Wrights are moved by the fact that “70 percent of adults with intellectual and physical disabilities do not have jobs.”  But, do people with IDDs need to work?  Certainly, someone will provide for them if they can’t do so for themselves.  Amy Wright reiterates this blog post’s opening as she explains why the value of work is much more than earning an income:
 
“Having a workplace that makes you feel proud of yourself and gives you a sense of community is something we all want. For our employees, I feel like it's the first time they've had that. We figured out what their skill set was and we plugged them in. They're proud to be employed by Bitty and Beau's Coffee, and they will shout it from the rooftops. It's given them purpose and a sense of being valued in ways that we take for granted.”
 
One of those employees, Jesse, shares why she values her work:
“My job gives me confidence and helps me grow as a person. My job brings me joy and happiness.”

Bitty & Beau’s clearly makes a big difference in the lives of the people it employs; however, that’s not the end of the impact.  There’s another group of people who are also very positively influenced: the coffee shop’s customers.
 
A key part of Bitty & Beau’s mission is also to “bring the community together and to help people with and without disabilities spend time together.”  That interaction is an overwhelmingly positive and often eye-opening experience for customers.  Amy Wright again explains:
 
“Creating (Bitty & Beau’s) has given people a way to interact with people with disabilities that (they) never had before.  This is a safe place where people can test the waters and realize how much more alike we are than different.”
 
Of course, not everyone welcomes the opportunity to interact with individuals who are different than they are, but plenty of other people do, and it’s that latter group that has helped make Bitty and Beau’s a success.  Yes, the customers like the products, but “they really come in for the unique customer service experience,” which transforms individuals and can “forever change the way communities view those with IDD.”  As testament to that success, the Wrights plan to open a second location of Bitty & Beau’s soon in Charleston, SC.

By providing meaningful work for individuals with IDDs, Bitty & Beau’s gives an invaluable gift to an often-marginalized group of people.  Those passionate employees, in turn, bless the many customers who frequent the coffee shop, attracted by a truly unique value proposition.  In short, Bitty & Beau’s is an excellent example of “Mindful Marketing.”


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Beer Belly Briefcase

12/1/2017

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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

Wondering what to get for that guy on your holiday shopping list who doesn’t need anything?  How about buying him some belly fat?  I’m not talking about a giant box of chocolates or gift cards for his favorite fast food—they would take too long.  There’s a much quicker way to give him the perfect paunch.

As the newest edition to the series ‘I can’t believe somebody would make that,’ British art designer Albert Pukies has created a fanny pack called the “Dadbag” that looks exactly like a middle-aged man’s beer belly.  It even has hair.
 
What’s the point of these paunches?  In terms of functionality, Pukies says they’re a great place to store “typical dad items, like beer, medicine, a sandwich, wallet, sunglasses, keys.”  That’s right, a beer belly that can hold a couple cans of Budweiser, literally.

While the Dadbag is outwardly a practical product, Pukies purpose in creating it was apparently more about image.  He claims he was “desperate to have a dad bod” but didn’t want to assume the associated health risks.  What’s a “dad bod?”  The designer says it’s a term a college student coined a few years ago in describing coeds going crazy over guys with “a nice balance between a beer gut and working out.”

Pukies admits that the Dadbag is “a pretty silly product,” which he originally had no intent to mass produce; however, given the interest the fanny pack has found, he’s decided to explore production partnerships with the idea of retailing the Dadbag for about $30.

If offered, there would be different versions of the bag, as Pukies has prototyped six separate styles featuring a range of skin tones and quantities of belly hair--qualities that caused one potential user to praise the product’s inclusivity.  The designer has also demonstrated his marketing savvy by giving each style a distinct name: the Allen, the Derek, the Magnus, the Bobby, the Sherman, and even the sunburned Wolfgang.

So, what should we make of the Dadbag?  Obviously, it’s an item to be taken with a grain of salt, not with complete seriousness—Some products are meant to be fun.  However, at $30 a pop, it’s not like buying a whoopee cushion, dribble glass, or some other cheap gag gift.  Besides the significant cash outlay, there are other factors that just make the Dadbag wrong :    

1.  Looks Disgusting:  Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I bet most initial reactions to the Dadbag are a similar “Gross!”  Such repulsiveness wouldn’t matter as much were it not for the facts that fanny packs are typically used in public and the hairy belly looks extremely real.  So, wearing a Dadbag is like actual inappropriate exposure (e.g., a visible but crack) that no one should have to see.

2.  Impractical:  I suppose there are still some individuals who buy fanny packs, but it seems that most people prefer other means of carrying their valuables, e.g., pockets, purses, backpacks, etc.  Plus, putting a couple of beer cans inside the Dadbag would make for a pretty heavy paunch.  All that to say that producing Dadbags is probably not the best use of materials and time, i.e., it’s bad stewardship.

3.  Denigrating Dads:  As described above, the pack is objectionable for other reasons, but the fact that it’s called the Dadbag makes the offense even worse.  Dads have taken exceptional abuse over recent years, including in advertising.   They don’t need any more unflattering stereotypes.  Yes, I’m a dad, so maybe I’m overly critical, but can you imagine a firm offering a similar product called a “Mombag”?  The backlash would be brutal, and rightly so.  Dads’ bodies deserve the same respect.

4.  In Poor Taste:  The Dadbag not only unfairly ridicules fathers, it also makes fun of something else that should be taken very seriously:  fat.  Many nations, like the United States, battle obesity epidemics that add billions of dollars to healthcare and cost millions of individuals their lives.  What makes matters worse is that some other countries can’t get enough food, as many of their citizens live and die undernourished.  In sum, belly fat is no laughing matter.

If there’s one potential virtue of the Dadbag, it’s that probably no one will try to steal anything from it.  Beyond that benefit, the novelty fanny pack is interesting to talk about but unlikely to achieve significant demand.  With that prediction and the pack’s associated social issues, the Dadbag is an unfortunate example of “Mindless Marketing.”


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    David Hagenbuch,
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