Innovation Example
Boston Dynamics’ Spot Robot Dog – initially showcased by the company on June 23, 2016.
Boston Dynamics is a US engineering company founded in 1992, which works on the development of predominantly robot and Artificial Intelligence technologies.
Spot is a four-legged robot that evolved from SpotMini (the initial version) that offers multiple capabilities of operation, including climbing, jumping, walking, and carrying average-size cargo, such as boxes, as well as surveying the space around itself thanks to a robust software installed.
Technology-push or demand-pull?
- The innovation represents a technology-push, which is expected to transform into demand-pull in the future because customers will demand more robots to be made;
- Not all customers can purchase the Spot at the moment;
- Boston Dynamics has many requirements for potential buyers (Guizzo, 2019);
- The predominant focus of the innovation is targeting businesses that can use the technology for improving their operations;
- Boston Dynamics are selective of their potential customers because of the scarcity of robots in the market.
Marketing: The Positive
- The Spot has massive opportunities for marketing because the demand is high while the supply is low;
- Boston Dynamics can pick and choose between potential clients to choose the most suitable ones to use the innovation;
- At this time, the robot is not available for personal use, which makes it acquisition even more appealing for customers considered by Boston Dynamics (Hill, 2019);
- Through being a leader in the market of robotics, the company prioritizes collaboration with businesses because of the wide potential of its application at companies.
Marketing: The Challenging
- Regular consumers who want to get the Spot will most likely be rejected by Boston Dynamics;
- The technology push implemented by the company introduced a new product to the market, thus encouraging the creation of potential competition;
- The requirements to be eligible to purchase the robot are extensive;
- The sphere of robotics is not fully understood by consumers;
- The Spot is produced in small quantities at the moment, which means that not all customers can be accommodated.
References
Guizzo, E. (2019). Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dog goes no sale.
Hill, P. (2019). Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot is now on sale for “less than the price of a car.”