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The MUG Center Blog: The User Group Opportunity
Writings, ramblings, proclamations and prognostications from the front lines of the Apple community.
One of the headlines making the rounds on the Mac web last week was a link to an article on Business 2.0 by Om Malik, Startups Are Missing the Mac Opportunity.
Om outlines the fact that many companies introduce new products only for Windows on the theory of having more potential customers, and that they are missing an opportunity by not marketing to the Mac market. He cites Mac users as "willing early adopters," and the Mac web sites and columnists as looking for things to write about, including products from startup companies.
And he's right. Mac users are early adopters. Interesting products do get plenty of coverage on the Mac web. But there are more and perhaps even better reasons to work the Mac market, and especially that bastion of of the serious Mac user, the user group.
Mac users not only adopt early but are, by definition, fiercely loyal. Not always seen as a positive attribute by those who run afoul of the more vocal (and sometimes radical) Mac fans, this type of customer is a demographic dream. Think about it: a potential customer base that is always on the lookout for the next cool product or service. When it finds one that fits the bill, it not only buys, it adopts the product and then proceeds to tell others about it.
Mac user groups are a focal point in this process. They provide an in-person forum for Mac users to gather, trade information, see and present demonstrations and advocate their favorites, then go home and participate in a variety of online activities, further extending the reach of what happened at the meeting.
Re-read that sentence. Unlike many traditional marketing channels that go one way and stop, MUG members trade information, advocate their favorites, present demonstrations and participate online. In other words, they are fully engaged in being part of the channel, not just one end of it. In fact, they are the channel. If a software publisher or hardware manufacturer can tap that channel, they can receive more exposure and support than through most of the other options, and in ways that are not always expected.
That's not to say that this is only a marketing concept. If done right, it goes much deeper and becomes something much more valuable for everyone involved. Two examples come to mind.
When Circus Ponies released their flagship program, NoteBook, they opted to get heavily involved with user groups, supporting User Group University as well as other regional events, donated raffle and review product, and presented in person to more than a few user groups as time and geography permitted. The relationship grew and flourished.
At Macworld San Francisco 2004, when another company announced what many saw as a "borrowing" of NoteBook, user group members were among the first, and loudest, voices to protest and support the superiority of the Circus Ponies' product. You can hear Elizabeth Statmore of Circus Ponies tell the story herself in User Group Report #401.
An even better example is one that many newer Mac users won't fully understand. For years, one of the strongest, most loyal supporters of MUGs was Casady & Greene, primarily because of the efforts of Bonnie Mitchell, the architect of their user group program. Famous (or notorious?) for her selection of "toys" as give-aways and incentives, Bonnie succeeded in making C&G products a regular fixture at every user group everywhere. Many user groups were helped through tough times by donations and support from C&G.
In June of 2003 (note that date), after a period of decline and a valiant battle to adapt to the change to MacOS X, Casady & Greene closed their doors, and left a gaping hole in the Mac industry. One of the last give-aways that Bonnie distributed to user group members was a battery powered, lighted, red C&G button that could be clipped to your clothes. Turn it on and it flashed every few seconds. Macworld attendees delighted in adding this trinket to their show-going attire.
What's the point of the story? At Macworld San Francisco 2005, you could still see flashing C&G buttons on the show floor, in the hallways, and occasionally, on the streets of San Francisco. Ask a button wearer about their flashing badge and you invariably invariably received a heartfelt dissertation on the company that was no more, but who's products and people were loved. That's what a relationship with Mac users, and especially Mac user group members, can yield, if done right. (If you would like to hear Bonnie talk about some of her user group experiences and her toys, you will enjoy her interview in User Group Report #405.)
There is no question that anyone with a product to sell is missing a golden opportunity by not including the Macintosh. To take full advantage of the Mac opportunity, however, they also need to include "the user group opportunity" as part of their strategy.
Do you agree? Disagree? Have something to say? Let me know at [email protected].
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