Subscribe to life…

Disruptive Design _ Disruptive Services

We have taken brand loyalty to the next level, but what does it mean for the design community...

An exercise in navel gazing

We are experiencing a change in our relationship with material possessions and loyalty to brand.

Since returning to Europe from the Middle East one of the most prevalent societal differences in consumer culture is the changing from product ownership, to product rentals and subscriptions, this change applies to products, services and even our homes.

We have subscribed to phone bills and utilities for years, but recently there has been an escalation of this trend… Apple & Google accounts, music streaming, even Amazon encourage you to subscribe in order to purchase from them. Advanced doorbells & home security cameras want monthly payments to cloud services, & we have Netfix as well as cable providers.

We purchase subscriptions to health food programs like CleanCutMeals, where a box arrives for us to consume without making too many personal decisions… the initial decision to subscribe seems to be the driver.

Dr. Marten boots now provide a Boot For Life whereby you purchase a pair of boots & whenever the soles wear or the leather cracks, you return them and for a nominal charge, they will refurbish or replace the boot for you, on an ongoing basis, for life! This is true commitment and brand loyalty…

As consumers of professional grade software, we are well adapted to the subscribe to use model for the vital components that help us run our businesses.

The benefits to the brand are obvious, they sell some hardware for a nominal price & gain continuous revenue from subscriptions to their services. One big benefit is loyalty from the customer & a reluctance to switch services either through appreciation, apathy or obstruction. In theory the consumer gains from increased customer service, advanced product features, constant technology updates & a sense of longevity and involvement.

… however… all of this has lead me to a new thought process regarding our clients, their services and products are changing to adapt to this new social norm… The subscription model isn’t going anywhere and is getting more prevalent in our daily lives, so there are some serious issues we need to resolve…

1. How can we better serve our clients in order to keep up with and exceed the current model (because the model will only advance and occupy areas of industry we have not yet considered).

2. Do we as designers adjust our system to one where we can offer the comfort of improved service and maintain loyalty in a manner that is current and welcome…

The design industry had discovered in recent years that allot of the systems in place put them in jeopardy when things became difficult. May of those who survived had changed they way they worked and collected revenue in new and creative way. There now exists a period whereby the method and approach to client billing, loyalty and retention need to be addressed.

Food For Thought