Archive for the 'Products' Category

No Sir, Your Gaming PC Does Not Take Flight

Published
by
Matt
on May 27, 2008
in Analysis and Products
. 1 Comment

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But it sure does look like it.

I love hardcore gaming PC’s. I don’t know, but there’s just something about a computer with enough horsepower to run a small country that appeals to me.

For a long time, these gaming computers looked just like their mundane cubicle-dwelling counterparts. If you think about it, that’s like having a Ford Taurus that runs like a Lamborghini Gallardo. But somewhere along the line, someone decided that these machines need to be as intimidating and intense on the outside as they are on the inside. It’s about time.

Take a long look at the Acer Predator (above), the HP Blackbird 002 (left), the Dell XPS 730 (center), and the Alienware Area-51 (right).

All beautiful, but in a F-22 Raptor sort of way.

The “big idea” here is form meeting function. Just like Apple and Nintendo, these PC makers understand that design matters in this market. It doesn’t everywhere (nails, manhole covers, manila folders), but figuring out where design is really important, and where its superfluous is something that you always have to pay attention to.

I would love to take any of these for a test drive, but doubt I’ll ever have the opportunity. So if you’re out there Acer, HP, Dell, or Alienware and are looking for a few good testers, let me know.

Hey, it’s cheaper than a few plane tickets.

Apple Is a Mean, Hot, Devil-Woman

Published
by
Matt
on Mar 3, 2008
in Branding and Products
. 8 Comments

bedazzle.jpg
You know the kind.Mean, self-centered, maybe even a little bit crazy. But you love what they’ve got so you keep coming back.

That’s Apple for you. I can’t think of any other brand out there that consistently mistreats their customers, yet has a fan base that would lay down on train tracks for them.

Price gouging early adopters? Sure why not. Removable batteries? Keep dreaming. But still, I know people that almost wet their pants waiting for Steve to unveil the MacBook Air.

The big thing for me here is that, apparently, consumers will ignore or forgive a brand’s missteps if their product is exceptional. But how long can this last? Will Apple be able to plow along, doing whatever it pleases and still create new fans? Or will someone else come and deliver a great product AND great customer interaction.

What do you think?

Believe In Halo 3 Marketing

Published
by
Matt
on Sep 29, 2007
in Analysis and Products
. 3 Comments

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last 6-9 months, you know about Halo 3. Since the announcement, the marketing machine for the uber-anticipated 3rd episode has been in full swing. Some of it has been good, some if it has been not-so-good, some has been incredibly elaborate and intense and some of it, like the ad below, has been great. The latest commercial, entitled “Believe” shows an incredibly detailed model of the turning point in the battle for humanity backed by Chopin’s “Raindrops”. If you haven’t seen the entire thing, it’s definitely worth a look.

This has been a truly massive campaign, spanning almost every media you can think of. They even have a Halo 3 version of Mountain Dew, most likely a first for video games. And how did it fare? I’m pretty sure 170 million dollars in the first 24 hours is a sound success. That’s more than the Spiderman and Harry Potter movies if you’re counting.

This is incredible for me, as someone who has been playing games for a long time, because 10 or so years ago, there was barely any mainstream video game advertising at all. How things have changed. I guess you just have to believe.

On Bookmarks

Published
by
Matt
on Sep 12, 2007
in New Marketing, Products and Reading
. 2 Comments

Why doesn’t every book come with a bookmark?

I don’t know many people who read books in one sitting, and that means they’re going to need something to keep their place. It’s not expensive, it’s not difficult, and it’s almost guaranteed to get use in at least one book. Which means more visibility and recognition.

Sometimes, finding the right context for a product makes a big difference. I’m sure there are a lot of other opportunities out there like this one, it’s just a matter of finding them.

Hairy Soap - A Look at Old Spice Body Wash

Published
by
Matt
on Aug 13, 2007
in Advertising, Analysis, Branding and Products
. 0 Comments

To continue Old Spice’s new look and re-branding, they’ve re-released their body wash with a new package and a new ad campaign.

I love it. The scary music, the dramatic cuts, the slow reveal of the soap, it all builds to the “aww gross!” moment. It’s semi-shocking, but definitely gets your attention. The moral of the story? Use Old Spice body wash and no more hairy soap. Wow. As a member of their target market, I can honestly say that this ad resonates with almost every younger guy.

I like this ad, and more importantly, I like where it fits in with Old Spice’s new direction. The “Experience” campaign, with the ever-cool Bruce Campbell (check him out in USA’s Burn Notice) has given new life to a lagging brand. Old spice was getting clobbered and needed something to combat AXE’s edgy, sexy appeal. Their answer? Old-school with a touch of class and sass. Check out the old and new body spray designs:
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Old Spice was smart here in recognizing that you can’t win by following the leader. Their move was similar to Nintendo’s with the Wii because they decided to go in a different direction. Sometimes the answer isn’t overtaking the leader in your niche, but either taking a different angle at the same niche or finding a different one all together.

Where’s the hook?

Published
by
Matt
on Aug 1, 2007
in Analysis, Marketers and Products
. 3 Comments

I love TV on DVD. I’m not sure where it came from, or who thought of it first, but there’s no question that it’s good for viewers and networks.

But there’s one huge opportunity that’s being missed. The hook.

By selling a series’ first season at such high prices, they’re cutting out all the people who want to get into the show. There are several shows out there that I’d probably love, and what better way to get started than to buy the first season on DVD? The thing is, I’m not willing to shell out 50-70 dollars just to catch up on something I might like. And I’d bet that I’m not alone.

If I were the networks, I’d sell the first season cheap. Not at a loss, but cheap enough to get people interested. The benefit would be twofold. First, it would make the studio money, and second it would increase the viewership because people would want to continue to follow the story.

Who knows? It might just be all the hook you need to take a show from obscurity to the big time.

Benefits > Features

Published
by
Matt
on Jul 18, 2007
in Advertising, Marketers, New Marketing and Products
. 1 Comment

Unless you’re in the computing or automotive industries, highlighting features is a bad way to sell your product.

Features tell us what a product has, what it’s made up of, or how it’s made. The only problem is, most people don’t care about that at all. The thing people want to know is, “What can it do for me?”. Explaining the benefits will get you much farther.

If features are the only thing provided, people mentally convert them to benefits anyway. It’s a natural progression that we’ll call The Derived Benefits Model:
See feature listing >> Think about features (in relation to self) >> Figure out derived benefit from features

For example:
The TV is capable of 1080i resoultion >> The picture will be sharper >> I can enjoy my favorite shows more because of the clearer image

So why let people go through that entire process when you could just explain the benefits right away? If you cut out the middleman and get right to the benefits, it cuts down on the work people have to do to understand your offering.

Instead of advertising the 100gb hard drive on that DVR, let people know that they can save entire seasons of Lost, 24, and Grey’s Anatomy. Instead of talking about a carbon fiber frame on your sunglasses, tell people that they’re so light they can wear them all day. Instead of explaining the depth of the spikes on your cleats, let them know they’ll get a great jump stealing second base.

So the next time you’re writing copy, giving a speech, putting together materials, blogging, or talking to a customer - just remember Benefits > Features.

The Right Thing

Published
by
Matt
on Jun 22, 2007
in Advertising, Entrepreneurship and Products
. 0 Comments

It looks as though Bob Phillips and California Tortilla found the answer to the questions in my last post - the right people.

In response to me, Bob writes “In our experience the vast majority of customers and employees want to do the right thing.”
(check out the rest of his comments here)

And that’s something to be proud of.