Product satisfaction: It's all about the upgrades

There was a time when you had to invest in pricey new hardware if you wanted to have anything to look forward to in gadgets you’d bought. But these days everything from the smallest mobile app to film services like Netflix and console OSes continue to add value and innovate after their release.

This puts things like reviews and buying guides in something of a precarious position. Is it time for a new kind of format? More of a database with incremental updates? Or comparisons one year on? Or should it be considered and addressed when assessing the original at launch?

It’s also good incentive if you’re hoping to move to a subscription model. Or a potential noose around your neck, depending how you look at it. From a marketing point of view, it can be a tricky sell too — the only way to pull it off is by putting your money where your mouth is and letting past performance speak for itself.