The Tendo View

Does technology serve as the means for new relationships, or do new relationships generate the need for more technology?

It’s a fundamental question of both marketing and geek, and it’s not getting any easier to answer. If anything, we’re on a technological overload right now. You and I can connect on a multitude of levels: We can be friends on social platforms; we can send each other files through a variety of protocols and interfaces; we can share links, thoughts, pictures, online achievements, and resumes; we can support each other’s needs through an established, updated corporate presence.

In short, we can talk in many different ways.

That’s what makes the hubbub surrounding the launch of Apple’s iPad device so interesting, and I mean that in the nebulous way one can use the word. It’s a neat product. But here’s the thing—tablet PCs have existed for quite some time. Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch devices are a little different from the norm, but their oversized bigger brother isn’t as groundbreaking for its technology as it is for its potential. And I’m not even talking about the hardware itself: To paraphrase the famous line from Frank Herbert’s Dune,  the store—like the spice—is the key.

It’s Not Just Books

Think about it.  All Apple needs to do is open up the App Store to e-book-like creations of all kinds, regardless of the strength or size of the supplier. It needs to allow a publisher—amateur or otherwise—to be able to deliver content in an easily digestible, highly customizable, potentially updatable fashion. I won’t bore you with the technical details, but I envision a future where a consumer would be able to buy inexpensive access to an HTML5 and JavaScript-based “book” of sorts, a combination of text, multimedia, and whiz-bang that can be updated by the supplier without Apple’s direct involvement.

And who would sign on to make these books?  In short, anyone—anyone and everyone. But I’m not so much interested in a future of the “David Murphy’s Guide to Life” novels as I am intrigued by the potential of a widely used, accessible digital platform for corporate America. Think about it: Instead of print manuals to accompany products, a company could include a link to a discounted (or free) version of a digital user’s guide. No longer would customers be faced with a droll manual that lists out the features of their favorite products or devices in a painstakingly boring fashion. A branded e-book could serve as a much better how-to guide and introduction for a product’s features. Videos and interaction could accompany designed text to create a presentation, not just a product manual.

Cementing the Relationship

Of course, the implications this could have  on the actual relationship between a brand and its loyal customers is, in a word, staggering. Print manuals are one-shot items. They’re costly. They can’t be changed once they’re put into place. They’re bound by the dimensions of the packaging and, if not done well, can be as helpful to educate a customer as  it is to give them the product and say, “here you go!”  Nor can you personalize a product manual based on one’s interests, desired color patterns, or technical abilities.

Digital e-books as manuals present a wave of possibilities, the least of which being that they’re roughly 3.5 thousand times more portable than carrying around a stack of manuals or stuffing papers in the glove compartment of a car. Something happen with one of your headlights? Pull out your iPad and look up the accompanying text, infographics, and video to figure out what to do. Rate the solution on its effectiveness by touching your finger to the screen or, better yet, ask for help from a connected forum of users, experts, or representatives from the manufacturer itself.

So, why Apple? Is every consumer in the world going to go out and pick up an iPad on launch day? No. But Apple has the clout, the mystique, and the App Store powerhouse to really make a lot of push in the handheld market—or the oversize handheld market, mind you. It would take some negotiation and a willingness to do things differently, but it would be awesome to watch a device manufacturer really turn the notion of customer service on its head via digital distribution of help products. Would you pay an extra $5 for such a slick, comprehensive, updated guide to your product?  I would.