Maria Boggi

I think it definitely is disappointing as it has been over 2 years since the release of the AirPods and Apple has only given us a slightly better mode – basically an ‘S’ model. I do think that Apple has something bigger and better for the AirPods but maybe this release was to just get consumers who initially had doubt about the original Airpods. When they came out, they were not received very well. Then they gained traction and became the hottest earphones on the market.

Another theory I have is that maybe the technology that Apple was planning to integrate in to the new AirPods was not ready yet. They could potentially be saving their big AirPod rehash for the annual special event in the fall. That would make sense too because it would line up with the holiday sales.

I have the AirPods 1 and I do not see myself upgrading to the AirPods 2 because the changes are so incremental.

Walter Hodge

I think you propose a great question regarding Tesla but are guilty of “spotlight thinking” on the approach for answering it. Although their sales and revenue fall short compared to Ford and GM their strategy is not designed merely on “Electric Vehicles” nor is it focused on the middle class (value/cost). Tesla is doing something all consumers want and hold high expectations towards. They’re evolving the car industries “services” by proving that brand loyalty has to be earned, as well as, appreciated to sustain. Quality in their products and their services are what allows them to be disruptive. As they refine their manufacturing processes to be more efficient, their sales and revenue will follow because they’re already performing better when it comes to servicing customer. Implementing programs like their resale value commitment and commission free sales locations is just more reassurance to purchasers looking for a decent automobile.

Anecdotally speaking, I feel like Tesla’s strategy is working. This isn’t based off of any statistics, but I know in my case that as a millennial growing up in a world where climate change is the biggest threat to my generation, I am sure that I want my next vehicle to be an EV. In the same line of thinking, I know that the EV that I want to drive is the Tesla. I am aware the Chevy has an electric car, but my opinion of it is probably the same opinion that I’d have of a Prius, it’s not a fun car to own. So, the Model 3, Tesla’s affordable model, is really the only car that I’ve only ever envisioned myself driving in the future. Thus, anecdotally speaking, if the Tesla is targeting late millenial males, their strategy is working, at least in my case.

I think the difference between the other companies’ EV products and Tesla’s is that the Tesla brand is built around solely EV, whereas the other manufacturers have other priorities that hurts their brand loyalty in the EV realm. Tesla has built up a huge brand presence, and although Elon Musk makes some questionable decisions socially, he always manages to keep himself at the forefront of the news and replies directly to customers regarding their complaints for the company. He has set the company up extremely well to appeal to a society that lives in the digital era, from the electric car, to remote software updates, to utilizing Twitter to listen to their customers. I’m not sure I would buy a Tesla at this point as the future is still a little uncertain, but I think it is looking promising for them/