Amazon continues to design innovative ways to make shopping easier for its customers. The mammoth retailer focuses on specific target market strategies when creating unique and interactive shopping experiences. The company uses market researchers to gather quantitative and qualitative research which assists in determining areas where consumers have product needs that are not being addressed. These results are analyzed to create new and unique shopping innovations to continue to attract consumers and strengthen the Amazon brand.
In today's fast-paced world, many consumers do not have sufficient time to shop regularly. In using a multitude of product brands daily, consumers needed a way to keep these items in regular supply effortlessness. Amazon capitalized on this need and developed a unique innovation called the Amazon Dash button which allows consumers to simply press a button to reorder frequently used products quickly.
Convenient order-as-needed button service
The Amazon Dash button automatically orders the requested item from the consumers Amazon account and has it shipped directly to them before they run out of the product. Each button is specific per product brand and has a reusable adhesive so that it can be placed in a convenient location for quick ordering efficiency. This convenience allows busy professionals and families to maintain their daily routines without disruption.
This wireless digital innovation fits in nicely with today's internet-of-things which allows consumers to access home appliances via mobile technology (Crouch, 2015). By harnessing the principle of convenience is this busy world, the retailer is providing a unique way to make life easier for its customers and in return build increased sales and brand loyalty.
The Amazon design strategy
Amazon focuses their design strategies on putting the customer first and has created some very exclusive products and consumer experiences. (Wilson, 2015). By focusing on customer needs by segmentation and building the design around these needs, Amazon relates to customers in a unique and personalized way (Kanary, 2014). Amazon uses a sophisticated software system that monitors shoppers retail site visits, tracks their habits and shopping behaviors, and indicates their specific product preferences (Kanary, 2014).
The Amazon Dash button is a branded feature that provides value and convenience to the customer using advanced technology and retail order automation (Aaker, 2014). In providing an improved day-to-day life experience for its customers, Amazon shows that it cares about them and wants to make things easier for their daily lifestyle. The Amazon brand increases its brand trust and loyalty by providing solutions to consumers for their day to day lifestyle needs.
Fitting into the marketing curve
In the concept of the new start-up marketing curve, high expectations, or marketing hypepre-empts a period of facing reality in which a broad consumer adoption of the product or product technologies must occur (Pepper, 2012). A strongly branded company such as Amazon can influence consumers trust and spark an increased interest in using such technology and thus substantiate the market lift-off phase.
Keeping the product positioning is sight on the continuum can identify customer likes, dislikes, and competitive trends (Geracie & Eppinger, 2013). Considerations for successful adoption of the Amazon Dash button must be reviewed in regards to the product life cycle application to determine marketing curve increases or leveling off.
Profits related to the usage of the button and sales generated are analyzed for product usage performance. The Amazon Dash button is currently only available for Amazon Prime members and provides a limited selection of branded buttons. The company may consider adding additional branded buttons based on overall Amazon household and personal consumer's product usage analysis.
Additionally, the company may consider making the Amazon Dash buttons available to shoppers who are not Amazon Prime members to boost product usage and sales and extend the product maturation stage of the product life cycle.
Article sources
Aaker, D. (2014). Aaker on branding: 20 principles that drive success. New York, NY: Morgan James Publishing.
Amazon. (2016, November 15). Amazon dash button. Amazon. Retrieved from https://smile.amazon.com/l/10667898011/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g2609328962?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&node=10667898011
Crouch, I. (2015, April 2). The horror of Amazons new dash button. The New Yorker. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-horror-of-amazons-new-dash-button
Geracie, G., & Eppinger, S. D. (Eds.). (2013). The guide to the product management and marketing body of knowledge (ProdBOK®). Carson City, NV: Product Management Educational Institute.
Kanary, S. (2014, June 30). The Amazon effect of segmenting consumers [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://landscapemanagement.net/marketingtech-the-amazon-effect-of-segmenting-consumers/
Pepper, D. (2012, April 1). The market curve: the life cycle of new technology markets. Tech Crunch. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2012/04/01/the-market-curve-the-life-cycle/
Wilson, M. (2015, August 19). Life with the dash button: good design for Amazon, bad design for everyone else. Fast Code Design. Retrieved from https://www.fastcodesign.com/3050044/life-with-the-dash-button-good-design-for-amazon-bad-design-for-everyone-else