First it’s good to be back after my website went dark for about a week to address a change in hosts, and an extended bout of laziness that kept me away.
Microsoft, Google, Apple these are 3 of the largest tech companies in the world. They’re so similar and yet so very different. These differences have really come out to the forefront lately with some of the choices in branding and marketing.
Apple
I’ve been reviewing the new products Apple is releasing and how they talk about them to consumers. One thing is standing out, the use of the word “magical”, whether it’s the iPad or the new “magic trackpad” apple wants us to envision a world where their products bring to earth an almost imaginary experience. A new reality this is what Apple Brings.
Their public facing brand has more to do with science fiction than technology. Their versions resemble confectionary delights rather than the operating systems they really are. Yes, Google has really embraced the fanciful in a way that inspires their customer base to jump in and get engaged.
Microsoft
Then there is Microsoft a juggernaut in the enterprise space but still very much an up and comer in the consumer space. They’ve got a few fanciful names like “bing, Azure, XBox, and Zune” but for the most part they are rooted in attaching to a brand that has been iconic in Redmond for over 20 years. Yes, everything is Windowized at the moment with: Windows Phone, Windows Mobile, Windows Azure, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Embedded, Windows Server, and a host of other products.
A once fanciful brand Windows has become a generic extended statement that tries to attach all these new markets to the desktop experience Microsoft dominates. Unfortunately, consumers aren’t getting excited by pushing the desktop experience into all these different categories. The message appears to come off as mundane and ordinary.
Fantasy in Marketing
There used to be a time when marketers were very cautious about making overly ambitious statements. Now making these bold fantastic, nowhere near reality statements have become the way to captivate an audience and cut through all the noise in the advertising space. Time will tell how long this trend lasts but it’s something that we’re seeing 3 major players handling a bit differently and it’s having meaningful results on performance.
The love letter:
Dear Viacom,
You’ve entertained me for years whether it be Nikelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, or Paramount (didn’t even realize you owned that one). As a long time viewer, someone who respects and loves the product you put out I was saddened to hear that in your first go at Google you did not succeed in exerting your intellectual property rights.
You see, I’m an informed consumer and I respect the ownership laws granted by this country. Unfortunately, with lawmakers there is often short-sightedness in the drafting. How else could a law like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (designed to keep frivolous lawsuits from targeting internet hosts and ISPs) be utilized as a shield for a corporation that keeps illegal content on their service and servers through which they directly profit from? Sorry, I understand that it’s not Google’s fault that people upload the videos but creating the service means policing it. Google is profiting from Viacom’s content either through the additional traffic it generates (which facilitates a higher asking rate on advertising) or utilizing it in negotiations shakedowns of content holders. It’s a lot easier to bargain with someone whose content is already exposed when it comes to setting the tone of the partnership agreement.
Here’s to hoping in 5 years the Supreme Court sees things your Way Viacom.
Yours, Nick
The Hate Letter
Dear Viacom,
How is it you can be so good at creating amazing content and so terrible at serving it up to the world? I can access your content at YouTube just fine (yeah I know it shouldn’t be there). You might want to get on those take-down notices since their site doesn’t hang/ spend minutes buffering and I don’t even have to watch a commercial there.
Or better yet learn from NBC and actually post your content on Hulu ,rather than using Hulu point back to your overwhelmed site. See I don’t mind watching the commercials, I just mind the buffering time. I know Hulu is a little more appeasing than Google, who you still have that nasty back and forth legal fight with.
So in closing fix your website or I’ll just hit up YouTube.
Regards, Nick
Gotta say loving my new job, having an amazing time driving strategy for a large client. After the “vacation” its great to be thrown to the wolves and have to start executing immediately. Needless to say as always finding time for blogging is difficult when you’re consumed by other tasks in your life. I saw this today though and thought it would make a good post.
First off I’m not going to say giving to charity isn’t a good thing, but I have to look at this article and really take in what it says. I find charities to be a challenge, because of the structure and nature (including tax implications) there really isn’t an incentive to run a charity efficiently. The problem is not enough people asking how can we stretch this budget, what are our goals, how do we run this “business” in a manner that will maximize the return on investment.
I’ve in my past career life worked on these problems at a University, these are very real problems that do impact charities and educational institutions. Unfortunately, unlike businesses which are forced to address these issues many charities shift the focus onto driving more donations and endowment use.
In the end though I can’t find fault in giving, even if its an imperfect system its a necessary system; so some waste is permissible.
I’ve sounded off on this topic before. I’ll continue to be more in Viacom’s corner than Google’s so long as I can find a video any time day or night thats sitting on a Google Server that can be viewed illegally. Hiding behind the safe-harbor provision inserted into the DMCA that was designed to remove the possibility of ISPs being sued, or having to police their users rings hollow to me for Google.
There’s something to be said though for practicing what you preach, and while I’m sure Viacom’s site isn’t nearly as slathered down with content that was “borrowed” as YouTube was it makes for a compelling humorous video when you get to catch a company doing something hypocritical.
Apologies, video embedding is acting up.
So I bought a new car last week, and after years of not having a functioning cigarette lighter to utilize an adaptor for a mobile phone I’m now ready to buy one. Now there’s some general rules I typically follow to make sure I don’t spend too much on this sort of thing, first of which is don’t ever buy from a branded carrier’s store (pro tip they make money from the accessories), and second the best possible place to buy is typically Radioshack®.
Buying Experience
Radioshack is cheaper one because they sell an incredible assortment of stuff including AA batteries that have high margins, and because they typically run an entire store with only two people during the busiest times of the day. So the advantage is I’m getting a cheap charger, but now the problem is there’s no one there to help me get the right charger.
It’s at this point I discover the genius of “PointMobl™” packaging on the chargers in a bright white iPod like section of the store. I pick up a couple of these weird over-sized plastic canister type containers and flip it over to read up specs on the back. Somehow I missed the “Flip it To Fit it!” messaging on the front, but still managed to do exactly what the designers wanted me to. This was some of the most intuitive packaging I have ever seen, as it left the end of the charger that fits into the phone in a small accessible hole in the back. Yes, I didn’t even need a sales associate as I could plug in the charger and know it fit, so simple so easy, its the low hanging fruit of product accessories which everyone else has ignored.
The Purchase Decision
I only had to pick up two packages until I found the product I knew would work with my phone. At that point I had 100% confidence that I had the appropriate product. Its at this point I was so happy with my ability to select the product, make the decision myself that I never even bothered to see if there was a competitive branded product available as well. I never even bothered to check the price (although its because I assumed correctly a $25-30 price window that I knew to be typical for this type of product. This was one of the more rewarding buying experiences I’ve had, and for something as simple and every day as a device charger.
PointMobl™?
Good thing you TM’d that name its a rock-star. OK, all joking aside I just bought a product with a company that has zero brand credibility; this is something of a miracle given my normal purchasing habits. Not only was this product packaging super effective in my purchase decision it actually built considerable brand equity for me. I’m not even kidding when I say I paid more attention to the packagings’ features than the Power Adapters.
So I’m thinking that these PointMobl folks really know this business, its at that point I then discover its not an accessory company but a branded mobile store that is at the very least partnered (and I’m guessing owned) by Radioshack. I must say I’m a bit confused to see the brand over-extending the branded storefronts but maybe this will make rolling out these stores a bit easier. Would love to be sitting in on their brand strategy sessions.
Conclusion
I like my introduction to PointMobil, I think its smart on Radioshack’s part to make use of a branded experience that better aligns with what customers normally associate with purchasing mobile products. I’m also blown away by the thoughtfulness they’ve injected into their offer, it really helps build credibility in an already crowded space.