When it comes to branding and marketing, you don't want to tell your users when, what, how, where and who to use your products. If you do, congratulations on cutting down your user base on those factors.
Nothing beats the power of simplicity. 'nuff said
[via
romph on
youTube ]
3 comments:
Interesting. I do agree, simplicity in branding is not happening in Microsoft, yet.
Personally, I think that Microsoft has become confused with that they want to represent. Are they the leading OS player, or targetting the games market or is going online the next big paradigm shift (there you have it, big MBA buzzword) for them?
Until they figure that one out and sticking to it, they'll have to contend with remaining with their existing branding and practice of telling users how and where to use their products. (Case in point will be Vista's testing software that detects if your hardware is good enough for it. Fancy that!)
Apple is different in the sense that they encourage you to be "you". Simple as that. iPod is targetted as a lifestyle device for everyone. You want to listen to rock, classics or pop? No problem.
The ubiquity concept of relating to everyone was especially well brought out in their initial silhouette ads cos those made people think -- "Hey, I could be that cool/hip/happening/popular/stylish with an iPod".
See how they allowed the consumers to choose who they want to be?
That's powerful advertising for you.
(ps: Thanks for the comment. Would love more discussion around here!)
Come to think of it, I do agree that simplicity in Apple brings their products into people's lifestyle.
However, Microsoft's style is not that entirely wrong as well. Having much information does in a way, help the product to sell itself. Imagine you are in a big shopping centre, you need to find information about the product you are holding, well, in the case of Microsoft's products, the consumer won't need to search high and low for a saleman to explain to them.
All in all, it is a two way things. Apple style will appeal to a certain group and Microsoft style will appeal to another group. Nonetheless, the trend is that people are going to be generally more IT-savvy than in the past and concern more on their lifestyle, hence, Apple's style do have an upper hand in the future.
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