The Latest "Peak" of Manufacturing Concepts - MP5
Previous so-called "new technologies and new concepts" were merely patchwork on existing technologies. In the relatively low-tech personal audio and video player industry, domestic manufacturers have proposed the concept of MP5 based on the "foundation" of MP3 and MP4, even labeling it as a "groundbreaking technology standard with independent intellectual property rights."
There are various interpretations and no consensus regarding the concept of MP5. A domestic manufacturer explained MP5 as follows: "MP5 is the abbreviation for MPEG Layer 5, which is a compression algorithm developed by domestic tech companies. With MP5 compression technology, music sound files can be compressed at a ratio of approximately 1:10." Another "expert" stated: "MP3 is audio, MP4 is video, the initial idea for MP5 is that it should have a CPU, storage, interface, and rich platform application software, featuring CPU speed, Flash-based storage, and from an energy consumption perspective, it is an extension of computer technology." A domestic manufacturer also claimed, "Compared to previous multimedia playback products, MP5 supports mainstream legitimate movie formats like DWMV and also supports mainstream video formats such as RH and RMVB." From this definition, MP5 either appears to be a rebranded MP3 or a single-function smartphone or smart handheld terminal. Most crucially, even the manufacturers who introduced the "MP5" concept cannot agree on what MP5 actually is, yet they are eager to sell this concept to consumers.
Such examples of conceptual hype are now countless, though MP5 has garnered more attention. Ultimately, the reason why these companies cling to concepts is because there is no better way to break the homogeneous competition.
Aigo MP5
The Source of Concept Hype - Homogenization
Today's consumer electronics market is a complete buyer's market, giving consumers increasingly more choices. At the same time, due to difficulties in achieving rapid technological breakthroughs within an industry, the technological gap between manufacturers is getting smaller and smaller. At this point, brand advantages begin to emerge, and how to enhance consumer recognition of the brand becomes the most pressing concern for manufacturers. Domestic manufacturers unable to make technological breakthroughs have started hyping "personalized technology," and MP5 is undoubtedly a typical case.
In fact, most of today's consumer electronics markets, including mobile phones, MP3 players, home TVs, and digital cameras commonly used by households, have already entered a homogenization trend. The rise of "personalized technology" has made these manufacturers without clear selling points ecstatic. After all, many domestic consumers blindly believe in advertisements and technology, and using "new technology" as a selling point is usually an unshakable truth in the consumer electronics industry.
As a result, the "technological breakthroughs" of domestic manufacturers have never been as abundant as they are now. Domestic TV makers have hyped concepts such as "print function," "recording function," "dual-card free communication function," "radio function," "double high-definition," "dual media," "six primary colors," "screen change," "screen stability," "3GUSB," etc. In the mobile phone industry, some people have promoted "solar-powered phones," claiming that they can charge phones just by sunbathing, while so-called "phones that will never get lost" have been proven by numerous professional media to be products with no technical content. Now, with the widespread adoption of digital cameras, concepts like "intelligent anti-shake" and "ultra-high pixel" frequently appear in domestically produced products.
The Way to Realize Concepts - Hard Work
China's industry wants its own core standards, and this sentiment is understandable. If there were real technological innovation, supporting domestic goods would certainly be a given for consumers. However, simply changing a name and using already mature technology to deceive consumer emotions, exploiting patriotic sentiments to earn high profits, is not the attitude that a mature company should have.
Domestic manufacturers are not lacking in innovative awareness; they just often apply their innovative spirit in inappropriate places. Due to the inconsistent image domestic manufacturers have in the minds of consumers, many consumers do not have a favorable impression of domestic products, leading to impatience and short-sightedness among domestic manufacturers. They promote their conceptual products with the mindset of doing one-off business, deceiving as many as possible, which is naturally unacceptable.
Domestic manufacturers really need to sit down and seriously develop products, focusing more on technical substance rather than constantly hyping concepts, deceiving consumers with non-existent things or repackaged existing products and technologies. Taking the portable audio player market as an example, foreign audio player giants like Apple, Creative, Microsoft, and iriver still see strong sales of their MP3 and video player products, while most domestic MP4 manufacturers are barely surviving. Marketing through fabricated concepts may work temporarily but cannot sustain long-term success, nor provide continuous market momentum.
This article originates from Pin-Dao Network. Original link: http://www.pin-dao.com/finances/200803040031.html