The importance of accurate comparisons
One of the most important things when comparing products
Apples to Apples
Also used to be one of my son’s favorite games!
Being your AZ Swagman is probably the best job at AZOR!
I’m inundated on a daily basis with emails from suppliers wanting to sell their products. OK, that can get old, but on occasion I get to see some really cool new products. If you’re a regular reader of my green-ish papers, I’m sure you remember the metal and silicone straws, right? Let’s help keep plastic waste out of our environment!
Today, I saw a branded Smart Home Adapter, with 2 USB ports. Since your AZ Swagman is half technofile and half Luddite, this product really caught my eye! I really don’t want an Alexa or Google Assistant in my home, listening to my every word . . . remembering awkward conversations about broccoli or hardwood floor soap . . . just waiting to rise up and conquer the fleshy meat-bags that are the human race!!!
Ahem. Maybe no more late-night Terminator movies.
Anyway, the popularity of smart-home appliances is on the rise, so this sort of product definitely has a market. So, being the responsible Swagman, I started looking into this and similar smart-home adapters. That research led me (similar to any end-client) to Amazon, where I found a similar, and less expensive (no C-word!), unbranded adapter. Now, that’s where some end-clients would end their comparison, but not yours truly Let me show you my comparison:
| Amazon plug | Branded Plug from this morning’s email | |
| Base cost | $9.99 each | $24.57 each (available at EQP!) |
| Shipping |
Free with Prime (so let’s include $1 for membership) |
Included for AZ delivery |
| Setup | none | $55 |
| Minimum | one | 12 |
It’s not looking good for the branded plug, right? But let’s look at what else your Swagman found when researching:
| Branded | not available | 1/c imprint |
| UL Certified | ? | Yes |
| FCC Certified | ? | Yes |
| Max Amperage | 10A | 16A |
So how can one say that the Amazon plug is a superior purchase to the Branded plug, when they aren’t the same thing? When comparing products, let’s remember to compare apples to apples. By the math above, each of the branded plugs would cost about $29 (factoring in setup at the minimum quantity), and the Amazon plug only $11 (Prime costs something!).
To justify the $18 difference, take a look at the last four line items. The Amazon plug is available with max 16 amperage for an extra $2. Are UL and FCC certification of value? They should be if safety and allowing other wireless products to function properly are important. But most important of all is the branding. This is what gets your message to your client, and that has to have value.
Which was your favorite Terminator movie?
swag.azorinc.com or swagman@azorinc.com