Aug

15

Why Microsoft’s Mojave Experiment Is A Failure

Post Category: Blog Posts, Marketing, venting 

Has anyone else seen these commercials? Microsoft launched a marketing campaign called The Mojave Experiment (sounds like some kind of secret government project, doesn’t it?).

It’s basically a hidden-camera setup where they took 140 individuals and ask them what they think of Windows Vista (nearly everyone ranked it extremely poorly) and then had them evaluate a “new” O.S. called “Windows Mojave” which was really Vista running on an HP laptop.

After seeing how “fast” and “stable” it was most of the participants rated it higher than their initial rating for Vista, then WHAMO! The rug was pulled out from under their ignorant butts when it was revealed that they were in fact looking at none other than, are you ready for it? WINDOWS VISTA!! No!! Could it really be???

Mojave Is Microsoft Arrogance At It’s Best
This latest marketing campaign by Microsoft represents an entirely new low and demonstrates the lengths it will go to to prop up this dead horse.

Can’t you just appreciate the marketing strategy at work here? Rather than throwing what is admittedly a horrible product out the window (excuse the pun) or at least make some effort to replace it with something less awful, they continue to find new ways to push this operating system on its customers.

Not only do they continue to market Vista, but they arrogantly try to tell the public, ‘The problem isn’t with Vista, the problem is that you’re too dumb to see how awesome it really is!’

Brilliant Marketing Strategy: Treat Your Customers Like They’re Stupid
The entire premise of this marketing effort is fundamentally wrong. “I am wrong” isn’t the best emotion to elicit about a product. Nobody likes being shown they’re wrong or for it to be insinuated that they’re stupid. “Wow, I feel like an idiot” is light years removed from “Wow, this is a great product.”

To quote Joe Wilcox from eWeek Microsoft Watch, “What story does Microsoft choose to tell about Vista after about 15 months of silence: You the customer are too stupid to see how great Windows Vista is. Wow, that’s brilliant marketing, guys”

Brilliant indeed. I’ve seen bad marketing before, but this one takes the cake.

May

21

Where Do You Find Your Inspiration?

Post Category: Creativity, Marketing 


(a Creative Chaos installment)

I was in Starbucks this morning when I saw a display for their new iced coffee drinks. The colors and layout jumped out at me and I grabbed my moleskine and started sketching away. I had been running into a mental roadblock on a web design project I’m working on until inspiration hit. Eureka!

I find inspiration for my writings and designs everywhere. I’ve almost gotten into accidents because I was looking at creative designs on billboards. Sometimes I thumb through magazines without reading a single word, just looking at fonts, colors and photos. I just picked up a copy of the Lürzer’s ARCHIVE magazine and have flipped through it at least a dozen times.

I suppose there are some artists who can sit down with a blank canvas/paper/screen and come up with brilliant art but most designers I know spend hours geaning new ideas and inspiration from other designers. I’m not talking about copying someone’s work entirely. There’s enough design plagiarism out there. But sometimes the smallest thing can make a light bulb go off in your head and remove a mental roadblock. For example, I just discovered this font on this site that I’m going to use as a redesign for another site I’m working on.

What inspires you? Where do you go, what do you read, what do you do to find inspiration?

Mar

19

How Aware Are You?

Post Category: Completely Crazy, Makes You Think, Marketing, Videos 

Watch this…then tell me what you think.
(click here if you can’t see the video)

Jan

23

Surpassing Expectations

Post Category: Blog Posts, Church, Makes You Think, Marketing 

Lisa and I had a conversation in Carmel this past weekend about how we’ve gotten used to lowering our expectations. Because of our fast-food, microwave, drive-through, fast-paced-I-want-it-now society we’ve had to adjust what our definition or a good service experience is.

Is the food hot? Whew. Ok, at least it’s hot. I guess I can overlook the fact that they took 15 minutes to bring it to me and the waiter looks bored out of his mind.

It’s so rare these days that our expectations are met let alone surpassed that when it happens it’s truly remarkable. It’s the times when they not only bring your food out hot and quick but they’re friendly and give you a free dessert? That’s something you tell your friends about.

In the car after leaving yet another sub-par restaurant that failed to live up to my very low expectations Lisa asked me, When was the last time someone or something actually exceeded your expectations?

The first thing that came to mind was the Catalyst conference I go to every year in Atlanta. Each year I attend my expectations are higher because of my previous experience and each year I’m blown away by how they continue to surpass the previous year. Here are some examples:

  • A couple of years ago after I registered I began receiving free books in the mail because I had registered more than two people. I think I got over $75 worth of books that year…completely unadvertised. I actually started looking forward to checking the mail!
  • During the breaks at the conference they had free 15 minute massages
  • Special speakers they brought in that weren’t on the schedule (a couple years ago they had Jeff Foxworthy)
  • The early birds who showed up on the first day of the conference got picked up in stretch limos and dropped off on the red carpet where they had free omlet stations set up!
  • Impromptu dodge-ball fights with 10,000+ people!

The case in point here is that organizations who surpass expectations create buzz among their customers. They create a sense of anticipation that makes them ask, I wonder what they’re going to do next? I don’t think I need to spell out the lessons to be learned for your church or organizations here.
When was the last time a business or organization surpassed your expectations?

(for extra reading, check out the flip side of this coin, “The Problem With Perfect” over on Seth Godin’s blog) 

Jan

22

Seth Godin on Curiosity

Post Category: Makes You Think, Marketing 

This video is awesome (click here if you can’t see it). If you’re like me you’ll watch it 2 or 3 times and think about it all day. Seth Godin is always there to challenge your thinking.

“It’s easy to underestimate how difficult it is for someone to become curious. For 10-15 years of school you are required to not be curious. Over and over again the curious are punished.”

If you like this video check out more thought-provoking videos at Monday9am.com. Thanks to Scott over at ReadScott.com for the tip.

What about you? Are you curious? Do you attract curious people?

Jan

22

Meatball Sundae Webcast by Seth Godin

Post Category: Blog Posts, Book Reviews, Marketing 

Meatball Sundae - Seth Godin
Seth Godin, bestselling author of marketing books like Permission Marketing and The Purple Cow, has a new book that just recently came out called Meatball Sundae. In conjunction with the release of this book Seth will be speaking for a free webinar tomorrow, January 23 at 2 PM EST. I’m registered and looking forward to hearing Seth talk about new marketing trends.

(UPDATE: I originally posted that this webinar was today when it is in fact tomorrow. Sorry for the confusion)

Here’s an excerpt about the book and event:

In this brand new presentation, bestselling author Seth Godin outlines 14 trends that are changing businesses forever. He talks about how the new marketing landscape represents nothing short of an industrial revolution, and highlights the organizations and brands and products that are taking this new world by storm. By the end of an hour, Godin will have you looking at the world you live in very differently… the new rules create new winners (and losers) and there’s no time to waste.

If you’re free tomorrow afternoon check this event out and then stop back here and let me know what you thought.

Register for the free Webcast
Purchase Meatball Sundae on Amazon.com

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