Article Review on Amazon's New Microwave: 'Alexa, Please Defrost My Chicken'

Introduction

Laura Stevens wrote the above article, and it explains positioning at Amazon. According to the article, in the bid of controlling a smart home in the company years, Amazon company offers the developers of electronics a small chip which will let individuals use their voice in commanding everything including coffee machines, microwaves, guitar, and even fans in the house. The company hopes the selected companies will sign up the deal of the Alexa-enabled chips and that will cost few dollars for every device. Therefore, if this good plan becomes successful, then it might give the company an advantage over other technology firms like Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet Incorporation's Google. However, the company's effort of turning Alexa into the home's main operating system has some challenges including being expensive, incompatible with other items, and too complicated to figure. The main idea of differentiation in the Amazon's is "effort to turn Alexa into the home's central operating system" (Stevens, 2018).

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Functional, Symbolic, and Experimental ways of differentiating a product

Functional functioning

It bases on a product's or service' attributes and their conforming benefits, and it aims at communicating the way customers can fulfill their needs and solve problems. This new product produced by Amazon will provide several benefits that even the technology companies have not been able to offer. Alexa Virtual assistant will make the customers have easy communication with machines such as fans, cars, and microwave. For the microwave, the company has integrated a button and circuit board which will help Alexa have access into private label microwave. One can either use an Echo speaker that is connected through WI-FI in commanding the microwave to perform functions like defrosting chicken or ordering popcorn in Amazon and "What this microwave does is keep track of how many times you cook popcorn and make sure you never run out" (Stevens, 2018). The product also has the benefit of whispering and holding conversations with the consumers using the electronics having the chip.

Symbolic positioning

It is is based on a brand's characteristics which enhance the customer's self-esteem. When a new product is introduced in the market, then the consumer's behavior will change, and most of the people will want to own the products. Alexa which is a new and unique product that Amazon intends to introduce will give the customers a sense of belonging. Furthermore, the product will make them have a sense of affective fulfilment and social meaningfulness since they will have control over the electronics they have by commanding them to perform some functions. The first customers to purchase the products will have a degree of ego and swaggering confidence.

Experimental positioning

Experimental positioning centers on the brand's characteristics stimulating emotional or sensory connections with the clients. The company's intentions of introducing a new product for different machines used at home is all experimental. While announcing the device, the firm's executives disclosed a flurry of the new Echo speaker machines. Besides this, the executives also revealed other electronics which are powered by the voice assistant (Alexa). These products that included a $50 for a new home security system and cars indicates the company's intentions of putting Alexa in the center of human beings' lives. Amazon also unveiled several improvements of Alexa Virtual assistant, and it highlighted its ability to allow it to hold conversations and whisper.

Reference

Stevens, L. (2018). Amazon's New Microwave: 'Alexa, Please Defrost My Chicken'. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazons-new-microwave-alexa-please-defrost-my-chicken-1537469765