Telepocalypse

Older and wiser

The Techdirt site has a pointed analysis of how the US carrier Nextel has outwitted its competitors by superior products, segmentation and marketing. A targeted vertical approach works wonders when executed well.

This brings to mind a lunchtime conversation today with some colleagues. I was asked what the biggest opportunities in telecom are. My immediate thoughts were firstly with low-end subscribers in developing countries. If I can buy two cordless handsets and a base station from Costco for 80 bucks, surely cheap manufacturing and a low-cost disruptive IP-based wireless network infrastructure should make a killer entry into the rural third-world communications space.

But the one that relates to Nextel was prompted by a visit from my parents last month. Some time ago, we bought a small digital camera for my mother. She loves it, but the screen and buttons are too small for her to see well. Where’s the grannycam, Sony?

I’m sure there’s an opportunity for the mass-market carrier to address the senior end of the cellular market. The obvious features are things like phones with bigger screens, keys without any tiny lettering for unused texting services, no frilly feature creep, simple UI and strong back-lighting. But the user experience goes much beyond that. I need to be able to add my address to my mother’s phone book without her having to learn about triple tapping or web sites. I need to be able to see what’s on her phone screen and do remote help. (Maybe she won’t call the carrier for help — that involves confessing to being an old person confused by badly designed new technology). Even the marketing and sales channels need revamping. A mature demonstrator in the supermarket foyer is much more appropriate than a bored teenager in an electronics shop.

Isn’t it ironic to see the execs of telcos bleating to their shareholders about how cut-throat competition is eroding margins when they’re failing the needs of the quickest-growing demographic segment? Perhaps their marketing departments are too inebriated with the glamour of media content marketing to the teens to care about real users with everyday needs.