Hello.
So two points to get to before I start. First, it has been far too long since I have written and I have been extremely busy. I have finally found a subject to actually put into words and now I get to do that. Second, I feel I should make this clear at the very beginning, I HAVE ZERO EXPERIENCE RUNNING ANY SORT OF MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY LEADING COMPANY. That being said, this article is strictly written from an observant consumers viewpoint.
So, self cannibalism. I’m not sure I need to explain this but I guess I should try. A cannibal is a being or creature that consumes the flesh of it’s own kind. IE a human eating another human. Self cannibalism is the eating of ones own flesh. So how is this a business model?
Let me take a second here to apologize to all of the Apple sheep out there. I feel like every time I have something negative to say about a business, Apple is right there as the shining example of what I am talking about. In reality, Apple is really a company that does make some great products. Products that a simple and easy to use and understand. So easy, in fact, that a toddler or elderly person has almost no learning curve in learning to use their product.
That being said, September 12th, 2017 Apple took the stage to announce some exciting new things coming to their hardware lineup. A new Apple TV, new iWatch as well as, not one, not two but, three new iPhones. They started by announcing the new iPhone 8 and 8 plus. They look almost identical to the 7 and 7 plus which is strange that they skipped their previous numbering system of announcing a 7s and 7s Plus. To be fair they are not the first to do this. Microsoft has done this for quite sometime with the numbering of the Windows OS as well. Samsung even did it recently with the Note line by going thusly: 4, 5, Fireball, 8. Okay I’m kidding about the fireball part (or am I?) but you see Apple was not the first.
But the real head scratcher and reason to point this out in the article is the announcement just a few moments later of the iPhone 10, er I mean iPhone X. That’s right, Roman numeral X or 10. The iPhone 8 has a release date of September 22 and the iPhone X is coming in November. So what gives?
Well this is the example of self cannibalism I am talking about. Apple isn’t the only one guilty of it either. We’ve all heard the saying about buying a new car or a new computer. Once it’s off the lot or out of the box, it’s lost it’s value. And it’s not Apple’s fault entirely either, nor is it the consumers fault all together as well. It is a joint effort.
You see let’s take for example Company A makes a product that is so awesome, everyone needs it. Not only do they tell you this on TV but they tell you on the radio and in the store and online as well. So you go out and buy it. You and millions of other people. Then Company A innovates this product and the same cycle happens again. You may not buy it this time but still millions of others want to buy it so they do.
But let’s say Company B gives Company A a little competition and a little run for their money by innovating and creating their own product that is like Company A’s and releases it, so now Company B has Company A’s consumers and Company A must do something to win those customers back. So Company A announces a new product and in the same announcement announces another, better product as well. Does the consumer buy the first product or do they hold out just a touch bit longer to order and get the more advanced one?
See the problem? Apple has more than likely cannibalized themselves out of sales of the 8 and 8 plus as they have announced the X and a lot of people will probably just hold out for that. As I said though Apple isn’t the only one that has done this.
So here’s a question to ask yourself: What would happen if we all stopped following these companies like sheep and buying what they want us to and instead became content with what we have? I know I have to work on this, but it is food for thought.
Affinity for the Random 