Welcome to your Research Business DAILY Report.
Steve Jobs was not a fan of market research.
We all know that.
Apple did none for the iPad, Jobs said, because
"It isn't the consumers' job to know what
they want."
In his book about Apple, Ken Segall wrote
that Jobs never did research for an Apple
ad campaign.
Jobs himself told Fortune Magazine's Betsy
Morris, "We just want to make great products,"
which he said didn't require market research....just
looking at the world and envisioning what
it might be.
Jobs died last October, but the opening of
Apple's patent trial this week against Samsung
has renewed discussion of Apple and market
research.
And why we are devoting this edition to the
subject.
Apple has a sizable market research function
that is not always relied upon, although it
works with some of the finest research agencies.
On Monday, court documents that included an
iPhone Owner Study shocked some.
Targoz.com's Randy Ellison asserted Apple
did customer satisfaction with Applecare and
researched iTunes.
But there is way more here than meets the
eye.
A paper last September from Professor M.S.
Krishnan at the University of Michigan said
that Jobs' research attitude was probably
institutionalized "as long as the team of
leaders stick together and take that culture
forward."
Two Apple execs have validated that.
Trial testimony from Apple SVP of Worldwide
Marketing Phil Schiller stated, "We don't
use any customer surveys, focus groups or
typical things of that nature.
You never ask people what features do you
want in a new product."
Recently, Apple SVP Design Jony Ive, who has
been responsible for most of Apple's design
work since 1992, remarked "market research
will guarantee mediocrity" and he thought
it only revealed who would be offended.
Outsiders are unafraid to speculate, and intelligently
if I say so myself.
Former Apple consultant Regis McKenna told
the New York Times that Jobs' design decisions
were informed by his grasp of users' desire,
technology trends and popular culture.
McKenna added that Apple didn't need market
research because of the markets they play
in and their cult-like customers.
FiveTwelveGroup.com blogged, "It wasn't market
research, per se, that Jobs didn't embrace;
it was the typical research process that he
didn't like, since it is usually flawed."
The blog added that Jobs was never not thinking
about customers and always observing them
for cuesů
And 5/12 noted: Apple doesn't call its investigations
research.
"Perhaps they'd own up to it if we called
it listening, observing and thinking."
Finally, Blog.lab42 wrote: "Apple's team of
highly skilled designers and innovators IS
the target market for Apple's products.
If they create a product that they themselves
would use, there's a good chance that the
rest of us will like it, too."
I think it is fair to say that we are not
done with the subject, but well wind it up
here for today.
That's your Research Business DAILY Report.
We hope the rest of your research week is
great and we will see you Monday.
