A study on the positioning of the brand variants by smartwatch manufacturers: a technometrics approach

ABSTRACT

The smartwatch, which is considered as the most complex gadget among the wearables, is becoming ubiquitous with increasing market penetration. High-tech smartwatches are revolutionising the health and fitness industry segment in a myriad ways ranging from meeting individual needs to supporting institutional imperatives. Despite their growing popularity, the diffusion of smartwatches is relatively slow, and little is known about the brand variants offered by the manufacturers. We examined the technical and functional attributes of smartwatch models using the Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA) to gain insights into the market positioning of the brand variants. Our results not only confirmed the presence of brand variants among the leading smartwatch manufacturers but also examined the unique positioning of the same. Our analysis identified and differentiated the branded variants using two dimensions: activity tracking and device morphology. The study findings are expected to augment product strategy exercise undertaken by smartwatch manufacturers who might be interested in exploring the right combination of the technical or functional features.

KEYWORDS:

• Smartwatch
• wearable device
• technical attributes
• product features
• brand variant
• multiple discriminant analysis

Acknowledgements

We are beholden to the editor and the two anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions.

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes on contributors

Krishnan Gopinath

Krishnan Gopinath is a doctoral research scholar in the department of management studies, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, India. He holds an MBA and bachelors in computer science and engineering. He researches in the areas of technological analysis of wearable devices, mHealth, and technology adoption. He has presented papers at the Portland International Conference in Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET).

Lokachari Prakash Sai

Lokachari Prakash Sai is a Professor of Strategy at the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, India. He holds a PhD in technology management and a masters in Industrial engineering. His research interests include strategy & policy studies; managing technology & innovation; and entrepreneurship.