As marketing conditions change, it has become more obvious that some of our most sacred marketing concepts simply don’t fit today’s marketplace, and their continued use can be more of a hazard to managers than a benefit.
Lightbulbs have largely been the bellwether of technological development—from filaments to LEDs and to smart, WiFi-connected lightbulbs that can be turned on and off at the push of a smartphone app. TCP has been in the connected lighting space since 2013, when it released its first smart lightbulb to consumers at Home Depot’s Black Friday sale. The product is relatively simple: It’s a traditional or LED bulb that connects to a software hub, or “gateway,” that controls light dimmers and switches through users’ mobile phones. The company sells a range of products, from individual bulbs that are controlled through a smartphone app to full commercial lighting suites that include complex timing and output programs.
Lesley Matt, director of marketing at TCP, says that the challenge in marketing IoT-connected devices to the consumer market is twofold:
