24
Most innovation efforts are mainly driven by their functional components. That
immediately reduces their likelihood of success, since it is the social and emotional
components that are the ones representing a strong, if not the strongest, driver of
user preferences and subsequent adoption when people are presented with many
alternatives. Within the agricultural domain, innovations solely focused on productivity or technological progress, but which fail to account for cultural and social
aspects,
22
are also likely to fall short of expectations.
What are some examples of successfully meeting or failing to address the JTBD?
The failure of many innovations, including those on the cutting edge of technology, can invariably be traced back to their inability to address a JTBD for a large
enough constituency. The Segway two-wheeled vehicle is a good example. This
cutting-edge technology was introduced to great fanfare and included the strong
financial support of very successful entrepreneurs such as Jeff Bezos of Amazon.
Yet, it failed to receive widespread adoption. Its failure was due, at least in part, to
not enough users truly needing it.
In contrast, understanding the why behind consumer buying decisions increases
likelihood of success. Beat headphones have captured a substantial market share in
the United States, even though they are a technically inferior product when compared to headphones produced by makers such as Bose or JBL. How can this be?
Beat Electronics appeals to the deep craving for high status of most teenagers. In
part due to the association with rapper Jay-Z, users of Beat headphones are seen as
“the cool kids” in high school (Wunker and Farber 2019).
The effectiveness of addressing a yet-to-be articulated JTBD is evident in the
exponential growth of the mobile phone application Snapchat. It reached 190 million daily active users in 2019 despite fierce competition. The customer base of
Snapchat users is much younger than that of other social media. What is so unique
about Snapchat? Its main differentiating feature is that messages only last for a few
seconds on the recipient’s phone.
Why has Snapchat been so successful to date? The JTBD theory explains it: at
the time of its launch, Snapchat successfully addressed the emotional component of
its JTBD by addressing the needs of teenagers who have long avoided parental
scrutiny.
More recently though, the innovations launched by Snapchat have fallen short of
addressing the evolving user needs, and therefore its customer base has been eroded,
with many of its users deciding to choose competing products such as Instagram.
Finally, a further advantage of the JTBD theory is that it enables organizations to
better understand the competitive landscape, to gain insight about previously unnoticed competitors, and to understand the main drivers behind the why in the customer’s mindset, whether it be social or emotional.
23
22 These can include gender norms or dietary preferences, depending on the market and country
being served.
23 Amazon does not only compete with other providers of entertainment sharing the same technological means, namely streaming, such as Netflix or HBO. It also competes with any other unrelated provider of leisure and pleasure in the privacy of your own home.
H. Campos
Most innovation efforts are mainly driven by their functional components. That
immediately reduces their likelihood of success, since it is the social and emotional
components that are the ones representing a strong, if not the strongest, driver of
user preferences and subsequent adoption when people are presented with many
alternatives. Within the agricultural domain, innovations solely focused on productivity or technological progress, but which fail to account for cultural and social
aspects,
22
are also likely to fall short of expectations.
What are some examples of successfully meeting or failing to address the JTBD?
The failure of many innovations, including those on the cutting edge of technology, can invariably be traced back to their inability to address a JTBD for a large
enough constituency. The Segway two-wheeled vehicle is a good example. This
cutting-edge technology was introduced to great fanfare and included the strong
financial support of very successful entrepreneurs such as Jeff Bezos of Amazon.
Yet, it failed to receive widespread adoption. Its failure was due, at least in part, to
not enough users truly needing it.
In contrast, understanding the why behind consumer buying decisions increases
likelihood of success. Beat headphones have captured a substantial market share in
the United States, even though they are a technically inferior product when compared to headphones produced by makers such as Bose or JBL. How can this be?
Beat Electronics appeals to the deep craving for high status of most teenagers. In
part due to the association with rapper Jay-Z, users of Beat headphones are seen as
“the cool kids” in high school (Wunker and Farber 2019).
The effectiveness of addressing a yet-to-be articulated JTBD is evident in the
exponential growth of the mobile phone application Snapchat. It reached 190 million daily active users in 2019 despite fierce competition. The customer base of
Snapchat users is much younger than that of other social media. What is so unique
about Snapchat? Its main differentiating feature is that messages only last for a few
seconds on the recipient’s phone.
Why has Snapchat been so successful to date? The JTBD theory explains it: at
the time of its launch, Snapchat successfully addressed the emotional component of
its JTBD by addressing the needs of teenagers who have long avoided parental
scrutiny.
More recently though, the innovations launched by Snapchat have fallen short of
addressing the evolving user needs, and therefore its customer base has been eroded,
with many of its users deciding to choose competing products such as Instagram.
Finally, a further advantage of the JTBD theory is that it enables organizations to
better understand the competitive landscape, to gain insight about previously unnoticed competitors, and to understand the main drivers behind the why in the customer’s mindset, whether it be social or emotional.
23
22 These can include gender norms or dietary preferences, depending on the market and country
being served.
23 Amazon does not only compete with other providers of entertainment sharing the same technological means, namely streaming, such as Netflix or HBO. It also competes with any other unrelated provider of leisure and pleasure in the privacy of your own home.
H. Campos