How to Justify Purchase of an iPad: Users of the Latest Launch

• Published in: Journal of technology management & innovation 2014, Vol.9 (3), p.106-119
• Main Authors: Montero Arruda Filho, Emílio José, Chaves Lima, Rosa Maria, Lennon, Mark Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; por
• Subjects: Consumers; ENGINEERING, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; hedonism; iPad; justification; netnography; new products; Portable computers; utilitarianism
• ISSN: 0718-2724; 0718-2724
• DOI: 10.4067/S0718-27242014000300008

Contemporary technology innovation is increasingly based on convergence and the multiple uses of products. This change is detailed in the literature about new product development, as well as that on systems integration. This article focuses on the factors that determine the justification for using advanced technology products in which the perceived value of the product is not based on its functionality, as much as on its hedonistic or social value as an “all-in-one” product. In this study, consumer behaviors toward the Apple iPad are analyzed using netnographic evidence taken from internet postings by the consumers themselves. Since Apple initially marketed the iPad as a revolutionary product, with integrated services and features, our analysis concentrates on how consumers perceived these new, innovative features, in an effort to justify their purchase of the product. Our findings indicate that consumers’ justifications are based not only on the iPad’s functionality, but also its hedonic traits, and its similarity to the previously released innovative product, the iPhone.