Stumped about Smart?

This article by Ryan Bromley, Co-Founder of Kubu Smart Security 🔒 was first published in Total Installer Magazine July 2023 Edition.

—–

Can you believe it’s been over a month since the latest edition of our industry’s largest UK trade show?

A lot has been said about the FIT Show and the “single year gap” following the craziness surrounding COVID,  but from our perspective I’ve got to say it was definitely a very interesting and highly successful show this time round.

There was a LOT of new stuff to take a look at this year, not least in the Smart tech market. Some things totally brand new, some a new twist on older products, and others notable by their absence.

One of my favourite bits of new tech was the Sercair Smart Vent system that slots into any frame in place of a section of the glass.  A really cool (excuse the pun) bit of kit that hits the mark in so many different ways. 

What makes it so impressive is that they haven’t just tried to re-invent the same old tired format, or settled for what “we all know” the customer wants. The developers have truly listened to the market, then thought outside the box and created a completely new genre of product.

As an industry we all seem to be on the same page in that Smart tech is the biggest thing for Fenestration since multi-point locking, but we’ve reinvented and repackaged the same types of product and consequently struggled to create a product that has stood the test of time with the consumer.

Talking of tests, what do you know about Cricket? 

Even if you think Cricket is the most boring thing in the world, I’d put money on the fact that you’ve heard of the Ashes. 

England vs Australia. The age-old enemies, going to battle for a trophy that’s even smaller than that “Most Improved” trophy you won in the egg-and-spoon race at your primary school sports day.

Traditionally, test match cricket is a cautious game – lumbering along over five days, taking zero risk to slowly build a score you think your opponent can’t match. 

A great game for the purists and fanatics, but the majority of the public just aren’t that interested. For years the game has been stuck in its ways, slowly losing viewership, not catering for the customer.  While 20-20 has been steadily growing in popularity, the long form of the game was all but dead, so England have decided to give it one more try and switch things up a bit. 

Coined “Bazball”, their new more explosive playing style (named after a play on words with Baseball and their head coach’s first name) sees far less patience and plodding, and much more time trying to smash the ball out of the park, in a bid to replicate what is so popular with the shorter game.

It hasn’t been exactly what you’d call successful (they’ve lost the first two matches), but do you know what? People are watching. In huge numbers. 

Stadiums are full from start to end. Social Media is awash with content. People are talking about it in the pub. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the England hierarchy have clearly listened to the customer and created a product that people just can’t take their eyes off.

A little dive into history can help uncover similar valuable insights in the technology market, and how different products have emerged victorious over others. Once again shedding light on the importance of knowing your customer.

Cast your mind back (if you’re old enough) to the battle of VHS vs Betamax in the ‘80s. 

While Betamax had all the whistles and bells – like superior picture quality and smaller cassettes – it was VHS that emerged triumphant. 

Extensive market research showed that consumers of the time valued longer recording times over picture fidelity, allowing the developers of VHS to produce a system that aligned with customers’ preferences, and ultimately ensuring their satisfaction.

Fast forward (another cheap pun, sorry!) to the present, and the same principles still apply. 

Providing customers with what they actually want, rather than what you think they want is always going to be the winning strategy in the end.

At Kubu, we’ve been in the market for quite a while now. Starting out with robust market research to identify needs and desires, we created a completely new product genre, and have constantly listened to our customers ever since. 

Whether Fabricators, Installers like yourselves, or the end user – we use all feedback to constantly tweak and refine our product offering to maximise the benefits and support available for everyone involved – and would you believe, it’s working pretty well!

Anyway, I was talking about Shows.  

I’ve always been a huge advocate of getting out there and showing our products to potential customers. Showing them all about the features they have and the benefits they provide – whether at Trade shows, Open Days, Training Days or even just popping in for a brew. 

It’s not just about us selling our products, it’s also to help provide valuable feedback and create strong relationships with our customers. That way we never lose sight of what the customer actually wants. 

So if you fancy filling up the urn and grabbing a cuppa to find out more, feel free to get in touch!

Be Smart. Work with Kubu.