A study on consumer durables innovation diffusion dominant factors - based on Apple iPad

現代科技產業發達，「消費性耐久財」，也就是所謂的科技產品日新月異，新產品推出後開始其創新擴散與為大眾所接受的過程。在科技產品相同品項中，常存在著代表標準的主流技術或產品，而該主流品牌易成為上下游廠商競相合作的對象，這樣的地位也保證著高度的消費者採用意願。個人自我創新特質可決定是否採用新技術產品，不可忽略的是來自週遭人群採用的網路外部性影響，越多人採用能降低使用上的風險與不確定性，並提高生活與工作上的效率；互補性產品推出亦會因多人採用而越發完善，如此便能更確立其產品或技術在市場中的主流地位。 本研究以2010年初上市的蘋果電腦iPad為主要被接受科技，至今已帶動許多科技大廠投入平板電腦市場，其中不乏電腦與智慧型手機業者，甚或是電信業者亦欲加入此新世代多點觸控風氣盛行的平板電腦產業，蘋果電腦iPad的銷售量居高不下，顯示其儼然已位居主流產品地位。為了能探究其活化已瀕臨死亡的平板電腦市場之因，本研究認為應以創新擴散理論、科技接受模型與網路外部性的組合做為研究探討基礎理論，並採用品牌形象、涉入程度與資訊構面來輔佐加強，以達到與過去國內科技產品創新接受模型的差異化的目的，提供不同方向的切入點。本研究盼能在以問卷量化設計的構面採用中，將蘋果iPad此等消費性耐久財的廠商面與消費面間策略取得平衡探討，提供給平板電腦廠商思考行銷與聯盟策略上的參考依據，而本研究結果發現如下： (一) 個人內在創新特質與兩種外部因素代表的網路外部性，會正面影響採用者對於蘋果iPad的正面創新知覺特質，形成正面的採用態度；在採用者部份負面創新知覺特質上，也有負面效果存在。 (二) 尚未購買者的採用意願較不受負面創新知覺特質影響，正面知覺特質有助於增加已購買者的未來繼續採用意願。 (三) 有形與無形品牌形象中，唯有無形者對於繼續採用意願的增強無效。 (四) 加入對於蘋果iPad產品涉入程度考量後的廠商與消費資訊，並不完全提升對繼續採用意願的影響效果，且對於採用意願無顯著影響。 故整體而言，平板電腦廠商，應能由廠商與消費面切入思考產品研發與行銷策略，由目標市場的需求做基礎考量新產品功能，並善用品牌、銷售與廠商策略聯盟資訊，增強採用者的好印象，才能真正擴散其創新科技以達永續經營。 關鍵字：創新擴散、科技接受、網路外部性、涉入程度、品牌形象Global technical industry booms, especially the “consuming durable,” or the so-called “technical products” evolves fast. After new products are launched, the innovation diffusing and generally accepted procedure starts. Among the same technical items, there is always a mainstream technology or product which could play the role as a referred standard. And the mainstream brand would easily become the one that up and downstream manufacturers long to cooperate with. The position will also present the highly consumer accepting intention. Self-innovation could be an important dominant factor deciding whether to accept product with new technology. However the external network effect from the acceptance of people around is indispensible as well. As a rule of thumb, more acceptances could reduce the risk and uncertainty when using the targeted product or technology. Meanwhile, this will also increase the efficiency in daily life or at work. Complementary goods would develop more completely because of mass acceptance and this way it will help ensure the mainstream role of product or technology in the market. The research would take Apple iPad which was launched in the early of 2010 as the main accepted technology. It has encouraged many famous technical firms to join the new generation tablet PC market, including not only the originally computer and cell phone but also telecommunication firms. The highest sales among the tablet PC market showed iPad’s role as the mainstream product and technology. This research would take innovation diffusion theory, technology acceptance model and network externality as the basic theoretical combination to discuss the phenomenon that iPad helped excite tablet PC market. Besides, we add brand image, involvement, and information factors to our research framework so as to distinguish from and hope could provide more perspectives to the past theories discussing consuming durables’ innovation diffusion. And we expect to design ideal questionnaires including all the factors discussed, strike a discussing balance between firm and consumer strategies, and providing the consequence for Tablet PC firms’ considering marketing and cooperation strategies as supporting references. The following points are main conclusions of this research: 1. Internal self innovation and two kinds of network externality have positive effects on consumers’ positive innovative perceptions when accepting iPad; negative effects on negative innovation perceptions. 2. Potential buyers’ accepting intentions are less affected by negative innovative perceptions, but positive innovative perceptions would positively affect buyers’ continuing accepting intentions. 3. Only intangible brand image has no effect on buyers’ continuing accepting intentions. 4. After taking iPad product involvement into consideration, we found that the effects of information on accepting intentions will not be enhanced but will have partial effect on continuing accepting intentions. Considering everything, Tablet PC firms should do the product R&D and marketing plan on the basis of firm and consumer, launch the new function by taking consumer’s demand into consideration, and take full advantage of brand, sales and firm cooperation information to leave good impression on consumers. This way, they could really diffuse innovation and fulfill the goal of eternal operation. Keywords: Innovation Diffusion, Technology Acceptance, Network Externality, Brand Image, Involvement