Tag: marketing

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They are selling a lifestyle

lifestyle-ipadOne evening, I watched all of Apple’s iPad videos. But then, I’m a fanboy, so it was fun.

I noticed a few things – none of the models were older than about 32. I remember seeing a kid in only one. The rooms that each video was shot in were perfect. The models represented a little politically-correct ethnic diversity. (I think the mix was fairly close to what their real life buyers might be – maybe the videos were a little heavy on the African-American side.)

None of this was surprising to me.

Apple is selling a lifestyle. “If you buy an iPad, you will look like this.”

Don’t buy that. (But if you can afford it and can actually use one, do buy an iPad. Or at least buy and use a coffee press.)

And finally, since today is earth day, I would ask you to consider not buying that next “thing” on your list, whether it’s an iPad or a coffee press. Instead, use the thing you already have and make it work. That choice will be very green, if you care about such matters.

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Not Swiss

NOT-swissFaithful readers will know that I enjoy looking at the Sunday newspaper coupon supplements for a few moments of amusement each week.

Swiss iced tea? No. At least not in gallon containers. Even then, no. Iced tea is a distinctively American thing. Gallon clear plastic jugs of a cold beverage are not very Swiss.

Diet Swiss iced tea? Even further removed from reality.

Finally, I went to the where to buy section of their site, typed in “Switzerland” – and you guessed it – “No results found.”

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Whatever happened to prunes?

dried-plumsAh, marketers, you gotta love em.

I got a good laugh when I saw this ad. When I was a kid, these things were called “prunes”. Now they are “dried plums”. Same thing – but “prunes” has too many negative connotations.

Love it!

What product or thing would you rename? (And please, no one say “iPad”.)

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Acura vs Mercedes

acura-v-mercObvious competitors.

Acura is winning the race, in terms of their literature. Notice the size difference between their brochures. And the Acura brochure’s design is far nicer than that of the Mercedes. It has more pages as well.

The cars themselves? I can’t say that I have ever driven an Acura, though I have driven (and owned) several Hondas. I have driven a few Mercedes cars. The feel of quality is in the same ballpark.

Mercedes had a very dark time in the 90s. I remember when their ML-Class SUVs were at the very bottom of the JD Powers survey in the UK. But supposedly their quality has improved. Maybe leaving Chrysler behind has allowed them to focus a bit more. But Mercedes still has the edge in terms of their image and name. Honda made the mistake (in my opinion) of launching a separate brand in the USA. (Acura does not exist outside the borders of the US of A – whereas Lexus, Toyota’s equivalent, does.) And what’s the brand of choice for any African dictator? Mercedes.

I just wondered why Mercedes decided to cut their brochure budget. Maybe they feel secure enough that they don’t think they need brochures to sell their vehicles.

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Some really GOOD copywriting

car-copyCar magazine has a section at the back that lists all the new cars sold in the UK. That could be a boring list of facts and tables.

No.

They injected it full of life and fun. Each car is categorized as being either “Good”, “Bad” or “Ugly”. Read the fine print here. Each brand (or UK-speak, “marque”) is described as if it were a rock band. And the descriptions of each car can be hilarious. (These are two random cars in a row.)

They make it very easy to pick a good car. If you trust their judgement.

Takeaway: How can you inject life and fun into what might otherwise be a boring aspect of your job of life?

By the way, an interpretation for those of you in America… A “Zanussi Twin-Spin” is a washing machine.

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Some really really bad copywriting

crosstourThis appeared in the American edition of the new Honda Crosstour ads. (That’s a new car that is basically a bloated Honda station wagon. I like it on some levels and hate it on others. The same footprint could yield far more utility than the Crosstour delivers.)

Incidentally, the ads are really unappealing, design-wise. (My suggestion? Use regular color when visually describing a product.)

And by the way, there is a much cooler Honda in a similar vein that one can buy if they live in Japan: the Stream. It doesn’t have America’s unfortunate SUV aspect in its flavor mix.

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Maybe a wrong decision

stihl-adStihl makes chainsaws. The recently ran this ad campaign trumpeting the fact that they do not sell their products at Home Depot or Lowe’s (giant DIY stores for those of you outside the US). They sell exclusively through independent dealers and want to keep it that way.

When the iPod was introduced, it was only sold at Apple Stores or online through Apple’s Store. Maybe a year later, they opened it up to just about any retailer. Good choice. Stihl? Pay attention.

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A great Christmas present for the business person in your life

tacoversmallTrust Agents by Chris Brogan & Julien Smith.

This is without a doubt the best business book that came out in 2009. It’s readable, interesting and filled with great illustrations. It is laced with application sections, so you can grab things to use in your business or organization.

Chris brings something new to the field of business communications – humility. He proves that you do not require a big ego to get the job done well. He cites many stories about how the best way to further your goals is to help someone else. What a refreshing voice!

Julien adds a lot of stimulating insights to the mix. However, since I don’t know him like I know Chris, it’s harder for me to really sift out exactly the part he had in the book’s creation.

Most books in the business category I read or skim and then sell on Amazon. This one? It stays on my shelf.

What’s the best book you added to your keeper shelf this year?

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Hardly unique

dfw-connectedDFW airport (Dallas, Texas) bills itself as “The World Connected”. And that is true of how many airports around the world?

Takeaway: How can you brand your business in a way that is truly unique? That may not be important, if you’re the owner of a Taco Bell restaurant franchise location. But if you offer something that is one of many, you need to provide a handle for potential clients to see how you are different than the rest. If you’re not different, be different.

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Quad processor laptop

quad-processor-cSo, I was cruising the Sunday newspaper ads, as I enjoy doing. I stumbled upon the fact that Intel has a quad processor in the most expensive laptop Staples was advertising. I knew those were in desktop and all-in-one computers, but that was the first time I had seen one in a laptop.

I did a little digging and found out that it runs at 2.0 ghz. At this point, it would be impossible to compare the actual speed of this laptop with a Mac, for example, short of buying it and testing it yourself. Unfortunate, that.

If you are a Windows person and appreciate HP, it may be a good value. If you are a Mac person, you can get a 2.26 ghz Core 2 Duo 13″ for roughly the same money. If you are a regular reader here, you know which one I would recommend.

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