Numerous Models... Marketing or True Differences? Confused...  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2018, 05:05:04 pm
content: I have been meaning to ask all of you for your thoughts and theories, as I am stumped and not sure exactly why this is done. It has to do with companies who come up with an outrageously huge number of different model numbers for what seems to be miniscule differences in the product lines, with prices that vary considerably and create consumer confusion!EXAMPLE:Philips ShaversCanon Cameras (Powershot series)... feel free to add more in your comments...I'm sure there are many more.... But these 2 are fresh in memory. The issue here is that most of the differences I would argue are INSIGNIFICANT and only fractionate the production lines, I assume actually costing the company more to have so many products and managing them all instead of narrowing down to fewer options and making more. Is this is all marketing bull$h!t? Is this meant to increase the "display space" in the store, or give the impression that they are offering a bigger share of market or more choice?I know some companies like Walmart seem to have their own UPC codes even or models that you can't find anywhere else, even though they look IDENTICAL... or perhaps different countries have different models, even though they look IDENTICAL... as a way to track sales and numbers and stop direct price-matching. I also realize it is because every year they may change the model number and tweak a tiny feature just to look "newer"... But for a consumer looking to buy a piece of electronic appliance it can create CONSUMER PARALYSIS! You have no idea whether it is really better or not, whether the differences are significant, whether the numbers correlate with the features/price (high numbers, newer, more expensive, better?) or if it is all a load of garbage. This is especially so now during Black Friday sales.... And this post was insipired by Philips Shavers paralysis actually.Is there really a need to create so many model numbers, so many slightly altered features, so many practically insignificant changes that you no longer can easily shop and compare models, or perhaps I am getting too old...

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2018, 07:05:16 am
content: This maybe is not exactly what you were asking, but I'll throw it out there just as an fyi. I worked at Walmart for a while in the electronics department. Most of the computers they sold, Dell, HP, etc., were special versions made for Walmart. The model numbers would be almost identical to regular models except for a slight difference, usually a "W" added somewhere. I imagine they were made with the cheapest components available. For Black Friday and Christmas, there would be pallet loads of unique models of TVs, apparently made just for those special sales. No matter what you are buying at Walmart, even if it's a brand name, there's a good chance it's a little different from what you'd get elsewhere.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2018, 07:17:18 am
content: Partly its a marketing thing: retailers usually don't have to honour their price-match 'guarantees' if its a different model number.Another reason would be product differentiation by features so you can sell basically the same product at a higher price and make a lot more profit. The only hardware difference is likely to be the firmware or a locked config setting.Then there penny pinching cheap sh!t, built down to a price point, with only a basic warranty.