When I was a girl, growing up in upstate
New York, I remember hearing my mother remarking about many products she
bought, "The salesman told me we'll never have to buy another one,
it'll last a lifetime." Looking back on those days, Coke bottles
were heavier, car bumpers were so strong we could walk on them and never
make a dent. It seemed everything was "built to last."
Now, in 2002, it seems like everything is
built to fail. A crash in a new 1998 automobile at 5 miles per hour is
equivalent to a house payment or more. Depending on when you bought your
house. We have disposable razors, plastic coke bottles, disposable diapers
(well, that's ok), disposable cameras and a host of other items to lengthy
to list here. When did it suddenly become OK with the public to buy more
and more of the same product and failure or breakage is an accepted norm.
For some products it's easy to see that
planned obsolescence is inevitable. I can understand why we might want to
buy a product because of certain improvements or additions. For example,
many people junked their good old dependable black and white televisions
for the new and improved color versions. Computers are obsolete as soon as
they are loaded into the car.
Let's look at four forms
of obsolescence.
Technological
Obsolescence
Technological obsolescence is another
word for the computer industry. Computer companies are forced to
introduce new products as rapidly as possible to stay ahead of the
competition.
Postponed Obsolescence
Do you think Bill Gates and the folks over
at Microsoft know what Windows 2010 looks like? Most people would probably
say yes. Do the auto makers in Detroit know what features will be on the
2010 cars? Again most people would say yes. Why are they looking so far
ahead? They know you have developed an appetite for more power, and more
speed, and more convenience. They dole it out in piecemeal, always
dangling the carrot just out of reach.
Physical Obsolescence
Physical obsolescence occurs when the very
design of a product determines its lifespan. Car batteries, nylon
stockings and light bulbs are perfect examples.
Style Obsolescence
This is most common in the fashion
industry. Making a perfectly good piece of clothing seem out of date and
forcing the customer to replace it with current goods. Fashion has often
been criticized because of the waste of buying products that are not
really needed. The fashion industry would counter with, "People want
change."
Raise the price?
In some cases, products are changed and/or
discontinued, in order to justify a higher (more profitable) price.
Consumer Trust
Customers understand that the only constant
in the world is change. We are a world that demands better and better ways
of doing things. If there was no Henry Ford, there would have been someone
else. Sooner or later we would have had the automobile. Sooner or later we
would fly. To have obsolescence due to innovation is one thing. To
deliberately design a product to fail is a serious abuse of consumer
trust. Planned obsolescence weakens the bond between customer and business
and makes the customer more distrusting of business.
If you create a product, make the best
product possible. Remember the lesson Japan gave to Detroit several years
ago? What was the result?
Better American cars out of Detroit -- And
better products for all of us from those who saw that lesson taught.
-end-
Deborah R. Dolen