Underestimating the Power of Secondary Features

Have you ever spent tons of money on a birthday or Christmas present for a young child, only to find that he/she is more fascinated with the box it came in? I've noticed a similar situation when it comes to high-tech products and the "average" consumer. Sometimes the feature that you just gloss over during your presentation, or worse, don't even mention, is one that's likely to pique the customer's interest.

This Father's Day was a case in point for me. We arrived at my parent's house, where my dad was overly enthusiastic about showing us a new discovery he made about his flat-panel TV and DVD player. When he puts in a music CD, the track titles come up on-screen, along with a standard play/pause menu, controlled via the remote. He had no idea, but absolutely loved the ability to pop in a CD, sit on the couch, and scroll through some tunes! My mom is planning a party with the girls next weekend, and she plans to set up her background music using this newly discovered method of theirs. Of course they don't really have any speakers, but let's take things one step at a time...

We often overlook simple functionality like the ability to play back CDs and control them using your TV. The same goes for features like being able to play back photos on the big-screen, or even connecting the TV to a computer and surfing the 'net using the flat-panel as an oversized monitor.

These hidden gem features go way beyond just TVs and DVD players. Lots of consumers don't know that you can use the same flash memory card in a digital camera that you can in an MP3 player or a digital camcorder, for instance. I'll bet lots of dads that received iPods this Father's Day (or Father's Days past) don't realize they can also play back photos and video on the device. Or what about that portable iPod dock? I'll bet many owners don't even know that they can connect other things, like a different portable player, speakers, or even a CD player attachment, to that nifty device using an AUX input on the back.

It's amazing how much we take for granted that the consumer knows. If you're selling technology products, learn to read the customer and gauge what features he/she might like, and might not care about. It doesn't hurt to say "did you know that this product X and can also do Y?" You might just be surprised at the response.

Tech Gift Ideas for Dad

Since I discussed tech ideas for mom last month for Mother's Day, it's only fair that I take a look at some gadget ideas for dads for this upcoming Father's Day. While moms might covet items that help organize her life and preserve memories (digital photo frames, universal remotes, and the like), dads are probably looking for high-ticket items that will make them the envy of the neighbourhood. Future Shop conducted a survey that found high-definition flat-panel TVs topped dads lists this year, along with portable GPS devices (who knew?), and Blu-ray players. Here are a few, expanded suggestions.

HDTV: Dads love TV, and many also love sports, so a big-screen, flat-panel display is likely on the gift-seeking list. Look for one with features like high-definition resolution, and 120 Hz refresh rate (for accurately capturing those fast-moving sports scenes). If your dad is a golfer, you might want to look into Sharp's Drivers for Dads promotion, which affords a customized golf driver with the purchase of any AQUOS TV at 46" or larger.

Camcorder: On family outings, dad is usually the guy with the camcorder in hand, filming mom and the kids. There are tons of neat, new models on the market today from companies like Canon, Panasonic, Sanyo, and JVC that record to hard drive, or even flash memory card. A current promotion from JVC provides up to $200 off the price of a Share Station DVD burner when purchased along with one of the company's latest camcorder models. Another neat DVD burning device is the DVDirect from Sony, ($229.99) which can connect to virtually any source via composite, component, S-video, USB, etc., and burn the content to a DVD R/RW disc.

Universal Remote Control: Just as mom can appreciate a universal remote control at home, so can dad. One of my favourites is the Harmony One, which is easy to use and set-up. I suggested pre-programming this for mom, but dad might appreciate the chance to tinker around with one himself.

Bluetooth Headset: If dad is a businessman, or constantly on-the-go, he might appreciate a Bluetooth headset that makes it easy to make and receive calls without having to rifle around for his cell phone. Show him how to pair it with his phone once, and it'll automatically pair each time thereafter. Alternatively, you might want to look into a Bluetooth speakerphone device that can clip to a visor in the car for making and receiving calls conveniently while driving. This accessory is of even greater importance these days as many provinces are beginning to ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving.

iTunes Canada Gift Card: I'll bet at some point, you got your dad an iPod, didn't you? Now that movies are available through the iTunes Canada store, you might want to look into getting dad a gift card so that he can load up his iPod with tunes and the latest movies for watching on-the-go.

Subscription to High-Def Channels: A lot of people I know who have flat-panel TVs but don't subscribe to the channels do so because they feel it's a "rip-off" that you have to pay extra (they obviously don't quite understand all the differences just yet between standard-definition and high-definition content). With that said, how about forking over the extra monthly fees for a year so that dad can get all the high-def sports and programming he wants?

Mobile Phone: Chances are that the phone dad currently has is an old clunker that he's had for years. Sign him up for a brand spanking new phone (simple function model) that will help him better stay in touch.