Showcase Your Differentiation Using Technology
Explain it safely. Not all differentiation is safe to experience in person. Using augmented reality (AR), a fire truck brand illustrated that its product allowed firefighters to scale ladders in tight, urban settings. You could not easily or safely do that in person. This technology eliminated their need to invest in a fleet of demo trucks to be deployed nationwide.
Make up for “heaviness.” What if your product is bulky and weighs hundreds of pounds? We created a two-pound, 3D model of Allison Transmission’s heavy-duty transmission that, when linked to an AR app, revealed the inner workings of the unit. This allowed customers and distributors to learn how their advanced technology was differentiated in the industry. Check out this video to see how this technology shows the greatness within a product.
Spec it out. Automotive brands allow you to create your ideal digital version of their car online. We can apply this technology to many products. Configurators help customers envision how your product could be perfect for them. They can also serve as another opportunity to receive orders.
Consolidate. A chassis manufacturer assembled all their specifications and information into one app that allowed its sales team and customers to review and access these resources. Since it was in a virtual platform, the company could update the content easily, cheaply and quickly.
Going mobile. Laptops are great, but today, most people access information on smartphones and tablets. Everything you produce (including your website and training) must be mobile-friendly for quick, easy navigation on phones and tablets.
Be creative with current or old tech. Imagination can overcome established technology. Our team reimagined the tried-and-true PDF by enabling a client to do amazing things with their healthcare PDF newsletter. A representative from Adobe contacted us to learn how we did it!
Virtual cocktail hour. For a food service co-op, we created a virtual meeting that included a “cocktail hour.” The 2,000 participants were shuffled from one small gathering to another to chat during a one-hour period. It was unique enough that Zoom reached out to join in and observe us stretch their technology.
Play with it. A product’s differentiation is at its most powerful when experienced. We created a technology playground for a client that had fascinating and advanced technology. This gave their sales channel the opportunity to experiment and play with it without the fear of “breaking it.” We introduced hundreds of sales and service personnel nationwide to their genius products in this safe environment. The channel became so comfortable they freely and proudly demonstrated it to customers. Prior to that, they were in “don’t break it” mode—fearful, uncomfortable and reluctant to even mention, let alone show, the technology
There’s another reason to utilize technology to show your differentiation: It will position your brand as being modern and forward-thinking.
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Barry LaBov is founder and CEO of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training. He is a two-time Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year recipient and author of numerous business books, including the upcoming book The Power of Differentiation. Since 1981, LABOV has differentiated and launched products and brands around the world.