THE MARKETING MIX: DISTRIBUTION

The Marketing Mix: Distribution

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The Marketing Mix: Distribution

According to a study conducted by Gartner, the first quarter of 2010 witnessed a whopping 707 percent increase in Android sales. As a result, the sales of the Google Android OS-based smartphones have surpassed the sales of the Microsoft Windows Mobile-based handsets around the world.

Currently you really have 4 major operating systems in the mobile space (in order of market share trajectory): Blackberry 33% and declining, Android 27% and rising, Apple 23% and declining, and Microsoft 11% and declining (see graphic). So clearly Android has just vaulted its way into 2nd place over Apple and gaining on Blackberry. Ultimately, I predict you will see Android reach the top spot before the end of the year based on this trajectory. (humm Will 2010 be the Android Christmas?)

But as 4 time owner of the Apple iPhone I still don't see a reason to switch. Yes I have seen theiPhone4 vs HTC Evo video (hat tip to my life long buddy Steve Schnoll at SuccessFactors for making me watch it!) which cost a Best Buy employee his job for posting it. But I don't care either.

My advice to Google and the brand group at Android is this - stop advertising the phone and start creating exclusive apps that only are available on the Android platform. Ok I know they already have exclusive apps on the Android platform but I meant ones that I would care about. Call this the Howard Stern theory like when he moved exclusively to Sirius Satellite Radio. Why didn't FIFA World Cup have an exclusive app that was only available on Andriod - that would get people to start switching to their platform!

AT&T has seen a 50 fold increase in the amount of data flowing over their network but I still don't feel confident that they can keep up. As a brand manager I would feel constrained by the AT&T brand and be lobbing internally at Apple to set the iPhone free before it's too late.

Apart from the obvious advantage of being having a choice of networks if you want to use an iPhone, as AT&T Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications Larry Solomon has pointed out, the phone will not be as fast as its GSM counterpart. In addition, since 80% of the rest of the world prefers GSM technology for the ...