I just wanted to point everyone over to a solid article at Thinking Faster. We really do need to focus on the “whole product” and this is a critical component of the whole “business design” methodology that has a fair amount of traction at Rotman. Quote from the article:
Given the complexities that we live with and the expectations we have of our products and services, it is not enough to simply create a great new product. Along with that product, you need to create what Geoffrey Moore calls the “whole product” – that is, the manuals, support, training, registration, help and surrounding infrastructure that can make or break a product or service. The old thinking is that people don’t want drills, they want holes. The new thinking is that people want to understand how to drill the hole effectively, and want someone to call in case they need help with their hole.
It’s not only the ability to drill the hole that creates value for the customer but the whole experience surrounding it.
Seth Godin addresses a similar concept in the book “All Marketers are Liars”. He’s talking about the need to provide consistent stories to the customer base; that every aspect of the product needs to be designed with a consistent vision, and that the same vision should be carried out throughout the company.
He uses Apple as an example of really consistent storytelling.