Research Means Business.
There is a right way to conduct research to grow your market share and a wrong way. Unless you are asking the right questions, your research will fail.
Go Beyond Theory to Steal Share.
You must go beyond theory and identify the emotional drivers of your target audience and use tough-minded strategies and positioning to steal market share from the competition.
The Process Does Count.
Stealing Share has developed a unique process unlike any other brand company in the world that is designed with a single purpose, to steal market share.
A Critical Look at Spotify, Part III
(This is the final installment in a three part series on DRM-based music service, Spotify. To read the Part I and II of this series, click here.)
What we suggest for Spotify:
Maintain the position of being the music site for music purists:
Spotify is making wise marketing decisions. Solidifying their site as one for musical purists is an intelligent move. Such users can appreciate that through Spotify you can locate intimate concert recordings, as well as standard EP and LP studio recordings. By having many options Spotify keeps the music junkies of the world satiated.
Don't try to be the next iTunes:
Spotify, please remember this mantra: "you will never beat the market leader by doing exactly what it is that the market leader doing"; These actions simply solidify your position as a runner-up. Spotify must be uniquely different from iTunes, eMusic, Napster, Amazon and Rhapsody in order to have continued success.
For example, iTunes maintains high audible quality and a song catalog that you must purchase. Spotify has the same high audio quality but they are lacking in interface structure. This could easily be enhanced. As of now, saved playlists, albums and artist files are not alphabetized (via web or smart phone app), nor is search-ability categorized for any kind of user convenience. If Spotify can improve their interface so that it flows with an intuitive and logical sense or order, a sense of musical ownership would be felt by users.
Improve your name:
We cannot deny the fact that the Spotify is a hideous name and lacks any significant meaning for their brand. As has been told by the companies CEO, Derek Ek:
This again takes us back to my flat that I had out in the suburbs of Stockholm. Martin and I were sitting in different rooms shouting ideas back and forth of company names. We were even using jargon generators and stuff. Out of the blue Martin shouted a name that I misheard as Spotify.
I immediately googled the name and realized there were no Google hits for the word at all. A few minutes later we registered the domain names and off we went.
We were a bit embarrassed to admit that's how the name came up so our after construction was to say that Spotify stems from SPOT and IDENTIFY.
Sure, this is cute story any integrity behind Spotify's name is lacking feeling and personal identification.
Spotify is a young enough company in the music service game that they have the breathing room to improve their name. They can and should find a name rename that properly represents them. Currently, Spotify simply misses the mark.
In closing, Spotify has the potential for great success. With proper focus and differentiation, they can compete with iTunes. More importantly, they can carve a nuanced niche in the DRM-based music service marketplace and find great success in the years to come.
