1. Apple IPhone 5s vs. IPhone 6 Plus The gloves are off!!!

2. Just Meaningful Differences Just Noticeable Differences JND (just-noticeable differences) represents how much stronger one stimulus has to be relative to another to produce a noticeable difference in sensory experience The JMD (just-meaningful differences) represents the most minimal level of change in a stimulus that influences consumer consumption, choice and recurring purchases

3. Just Noticeable Difference The Difference Threshold The smallest level of stimulation that a person can notice half of the time Weber’s law highlights the relationship between an intensity and/or weight of stimuli and how much more the intensity or weight needs to be increased by for it to be recognised

4. Discrimination Threshold Experiment How many more pixels will the iPhone 6 plus need built into its display for a consumer to notice the noticeable difference when comparing it with the iPhone 5s? What is the lowest noticeable increase above whatever the initial pixel intensity was? The smallest noticeable increments will generally vary depending on what the starting intensity is of the stimulus The consumer is now asked to differentiate, or discriminate, the IPhone 5s and IPhone 6 plus which may differ by only slight increments in resolution or pixels

5. Discrimination Threshold Experiment – continued... 1136 x 640 1920 x 1080 Lets take a look at the difference between these two examples The questions this experiment asks is; Will the average consumer recognise the difference between these two comparisons in resolution? What is the just noticeable difference needed for Apple to gain the interest of these consumers’?

6. Suppose a hypothetical experiment was undertaken. A researcher might gather several different models of the IPhone varying from the iPhone 4 advancing from one model to the next and concluding on the IPhone 6 plus, whilst routinely questioning the applicant ‘is the picture quality different between the two?’ Conjectural Experiment Once the consumer identifies the difference 50 % of the time, the Just Noticeable Difference has been acquired

7. Visual Perception This is described as a physiological and psychological process that involves the selection or segregation of visual stimuli in the form of two types of light, direct or reflected light Apple may have hired several focus groups, if not more. Apple may then test several models of resolution on the consumers themselves. Moreover, throughout such an experiment, according to the visual perception factor, this would then require the construction of the characteristics of a consumer’s visual stimulus into certain arrangements and groups in order for the consumer to perceive a clear perceptual experience, i.e. the higher resolution +

8. Just Meaningful Difference The Just Meaningful difference is the difference that is deemed important to a consumer and the difference relative to competing products or services which in most cases influences the consumer to make their decision based on these meaningful differences presented What is it about the IPhone 6 plus that demands such a high price? When comparing the IPhone 6 plus to the IPhone 5s; How do consumers justify such a decision? What is it Apple are do successfully to influence such high spend levels

9. Just Meaningful Difference – Let’s Compare... Price: $999 AUD Storage: 16gb Price: $869 AUD Date Released: Sept, 2013 Date Released: Sept, 2014 The underlying question is; What differentiates the IPhone 6 plus so much that it justifies a price increase of an additional $130.00 And more importantly; What is it Apple does so well to influence such motivation? But ultimately we would all like to know; What is the meaningful difference?

10. Discovering the Just Meaningful Difference Depending on the consumer of the analysis, this is likely to vary... Firstly, lets begin with a history lesson Lets consider the 1997 ‘think different’ advertisement released by apple The advertisement emphasises Apples desire to be different from the world and competitors and to ultimately stand out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmwXdGm89Tk According to the Chief Global Analyst of Milford Brown, Nigel Hollis, “a brand’s difference gives consumers an easy rationale for choosing it, and a ready justification for paying a premium price” According to the Chief Global Analyst of Milford Brown, Nigel Hollis, “a brand’s difference gives consumers an easy rationale for choosing it, and a ready justification for paying a premium price” Could this be Apples Marketing and Differentiation strategy? Could it be that simple?

11. Continuing to discover JMD... The meaningful difference varies on which consumer we are analysing and therefore, meaning to a brand, product or service is usually held with the consumers’ own personal motivations, history or emotional experiences connected to that particular brand Apple have an extensive history with millions of its consumers, which is one of the contributing sources of brand relevance and brand meaningfulness, therefore, such a characteristic contributes to the overwhelming familiarity Apple fosters with millions of consumers.

12. Another characteristic to be considered is Apples adaptation the Increased screen size It is with these characteristics that Apple aims to cement the bond between its IPhones, the brand and its consumers. It is with this strategy, Apple customers may believe that the IPhone 6 plus meets their current needs better than others in the category of smart phones and in particular, the IPhone 5s As far as critics are aware, Apple has not really brought anything substantial to the table when it comes to increasing screen size for a long time The Samsung Note has mostly dominated the market with its significantly larger screen as far as competing products go, thus, IPhone 5s users really may have had no motivation to change up until this point of release of the IPhone 6 plus. Cementing the bond...

13. JND & JMD– The Final Verdict Just Meaningful Difference Just Noticeable Difference  This type of meaning drives the capacity to grow; products or brands that represent something meaningful and differentiate themselves in consumers’ minds have the power to stimulate fives time more purchases than less evocative products or brands.  The IPhone 5s does not appear to have much to offer to its consumers in comparison to the Iphone 6 plus  The Iphone 6 plus and its innovative features such as the significantly larger screen size, fingerprint scanner, optical image stabilisation and its ability to split screen and multi task which are all potential meaningful differences to consumers.  According to consumers, the Just Noticeable Difference between the two IPhone models is suggested to be noticeable in various ways in terms of the screen size, pixels and resolution  It can be said that the just noticeable difference between the IPhone 5s and the IPhone 6 plus is most likely a visual perception of the consumer in which case, Apple have managed to successfully capture this consumer perception by using such tactics