For Those Non-Bieber Fans, Playbutton Offerings We'd Like to See Soon
With some new titles recently available from some big pop names like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, it looks like this semi-new product has been getting some pr reboot as of late (earlier pr can be found on their own website dating the companies new product offering to November 2010)...
It's called Playbutton and is a digital album and mp3 player in one. The mp3 player is contained in a wearable button that displays the album artwork on front and you just plug headphones into it > hit the playbutton > and you've got music streaming through your ears. Besides being able to order full albums of a very limited number of artists, you also have the option of buying the DIY Playbutton, which is a 2 gig player that allows you to put on all your favorite music along with affixing your favorite artwork to go with.
In general, I like some of the things they are trying to do with this innovation...but in the end, I think this new product will fade through the test of time due to the following marketing obstacles:
- It doubles or more the cost of a digital album (increasing a normally $10.00 album to $19.99 to $24.99)
- It forces consumers to buy a technology in duplicate (or more) for the mp3 player (for which most everyone already has)...people don't like to "double up" on their technology purchases, if not needed
- It makes you work to convert your iTunes files onto the player with PC or Mac specific software (see their FAQ's)
- The artwork is downsized even more. We've seen it go from the larger record size, to the smaller cassette and CD, and now mp3 (either non-existent or viewable on ipods, etc). With the artwork the size of a button, much of musical groups intended cool factor from the artwork is lost....baby boomers need spectacles to see whats on it, while everyone younger than that doesn't care that much about the artwork like their elders once did.
- A little too gimmicky...I don't think most people really care what other people are currently listening to (by them being able to see the artist proudly or rebelliously being displayed on their hoodie lapel)...These buttons could be nice giveaways for bands getting started or to give to celebrities to wear (so their fans can buy the same music that is displayed on their People magazine picture)...
Check out the Playbutton and decide for yourself if you would hit the playbutton or not at http://playbutton.com/
