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A Cue From Apple: How Yurbuds Stood Out In A Competitive Market

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This article is more than 9 years old.

The other day I had breakfast with my friend Brad Epstein, marketing guru. He told me about a speaker, Yves Behar, he recently saw at a conference. Behar is a brand and design expert who is recognized for the work he did for clients such as Apple , General Electric , Samsung, Prada , and many more. Today he consults with companies on their product design. Companies that hire Behar tell him that they want to be the next Apple in their industry, and he responds by asking, “Do you have the guts?”

Then, later that day I opened a gift from another friend, Gary Chervitz, who works with Yurbuds. He gave me a set of Yurbuds, which are earphones that plug into a radio, smartphone, iPad, etc. They have a microphone on the cord, just like any other earphones you might get when you open the box of your new mobile phone. However, while these earphones may function the same as most other earphones, there is a difference. They were designed for athletic use; for people who run, bike, or like to work out while listening to music. So what? Isn’t that what a lot of people use earphones for? Why would someone want this brand over another?

It turns out that Yurbuds is just a few years old, a new player in the world of earphones, so I asked Gary why a company would want to get into a competitively priced industry where there are already so many players that compete on features and price. It is almost a commodity. Gary pointed out that there was a segment of an industry that was asking for something more from their earphones, and Yurbuds was listening. Here is what I took away from our conversation.

First Big Lesson: You Don’t Have to Please Everyone to Be a Success

Yurbuds can be used by everyone, but they really are for athletes. If you’re not an athlete or don’t use your earphones for working out, based on features clearly promoted on the packaging, you might not buy them.

Second Big Lesson: Listen to your customers.

Yurbuds asked their customers what they wanted, and they incorporated that into their design. Their customers asked for earphones that didn’t hurt the ear after extended use. Since their customers are athletes, they wanted earphones that wouldn’t slip out due to moisture, also known as sweat. And their customers wanted to hear more than just the music. Unlike many customers who only want to hear music, Yurbuds customers want to hear ambient noise. Noise canceling headphones or earphones are great, unless you are a runner or cyclist who needs to hear the cars that are approaching.

Third Big Lesson: Packaging Counts

As I opened the box of these earphones, I realized that I was having an Apple experience. I noticed several things. The box is cool, small, and primarily black (which is a very popular color). The graphics on the box are edgy, emotive, and intriguing with an athlete’s face on the front, and the word “Inspire” written across her face in large red letters – think Gatorade or Nike. And, there is a flap on the front of the box that hinges out to reveal some of the product features. This flap stays closed because of small magnets built into the flap and the box, which ties into an important product feature; “magnetic technology” that holds the earphones together when they are not being used so they won’t tangle or can be connected behind your neck when you pull them out of your ears. Furthermore, it’s clear who the product is for. As mentioned, while the earphones can be used by anyone, it is clear through their messaging on the box that this is “Developed by Athletes,” making it clear who their market is. And, their brand promise is on the front of the box and uses the word guarantee. That word is powerful.

I could go on about the packaging and features, and when I opened up and used the Yurbuds for the first time yesterday, I was not disappointed. Everything on the package, that in essence was a promise to me, was true.

I’m a customer service expert not a design expert. But, I’m smart enough to know how important the packaging and design of a product is, and how, like customer service, it can be a differentiator in the marketplace. My experience with Yurbuds started the moment I saw the package. The design on the box was part of the experience. Reading the copy on the outside of the box resonated with me and created an expectation. Similar to what Apple is famous for, the product features – while I didn’t even know they were what I wanted – turned out to be exactly what I needed, which in turn, is exactly what I wanted. What a great experience!

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert and New York Times bestselling author. Find more information at www.Hyken.com.