Product Identity - the case of Instagram
Instagram is a case study of how a well-known product struggles with product identity and puts commercialization in front of what delights users.
Because I have two phones, I have seen how Instagram rolls out some feature on one instance of my Instagram account and not the other instance. A/B testing! As a user, I saw how Instagram was testing the placement of the Reel button. The button appears on two different locations on my phones, and I was like "ah! I know what you product managers are testing!" Then I discovered how they are A/B testing feeds. Instagram still does this now. For example, on one phone, I don't have the option of dictating my feed to show only my followings. On another phone, I do.
My issue is not the A/B testing. My issue is that A/B testing can only go so far. Product identity is at the heart of every product, and Instagram has lost it because it forgot what made the product great in the first place. Instagrams A/B testing is now at the point of diminishing returns. When I look at my feeds, it is serving me a sponsored post (ad) after every 2 - 3 posts. That is a lot of ads. It is jamming reels/videos in my feed because they are popular and got a lot of eyeballs. No, no, no. The algorithms seem to be completely driven by impressions per ad vs. anything else. I want to see feeds of friends in a chronological order as a way to catch up after a busy day. On the commercial side, if ads are showing up so frequently, people will stop looking at them or click on them because the experience now feels like ads spamming. I think Instagram is getting it all wrong.
Instagram differentiated itself as a place for people to post pictures. It attracted photographers, designers, and everyday folks to post pictures. Instagram was sort of a public museum where photography of all kinds was appreciated. It created an easy and fun way to curate photos and share with friends and the public. It was a place for people to be creative through photography. Today, Instagram has lost this identity. Because of this, it will lose users and high-value demographics (people like me whom the ads are targeting). Not everyone wants to constantly see videos of people talking and pushing products. It is counterproductive and makes Instagram appear "cheap" and not innovative. If I want nonstop ads, I will go to QVC (if that still exists). If I want to see videos, I go to another platform. Rather than building on what makes Instagram great, Instagram is trying to be TikTok while penalizing the features that originally made the product great. It is the wrong strategy for many reasons. If I were the head of product for Instagram, I will stop the A/B testings, reflect on Instagram's core identity and core demographic, work on the Shop feature to make it more robust, go deeper on the messaging functionalities, and do nothing else. These workstreams alone will get it farther into metaverse if that is the direction. Videos won't. I would pursue a winner take all strategy on photo sharing, social messaging, and delightful product discovery experience versus becoming a TikTok competitor.
Product identity is the most important thing to guide a product. Evolve to make that identity stronger rather than evolving to become someone else.