3 ms·

In the novel Syrup, by Maxx Barry, the protagonist, who works in marketing, says that successful advertisements create both identification and appeal, and that

by unalone 17y ago

In the novel Syrup, by Maxx Barry, the protagonist, who works in marketing, says that successful advertisements create both identification and appeal, and that identification alone is not enough to sell. Paraphrasing him, he says, "Coca Cola could get a lot of attention and reach a lot of people by saying, 'Our product is terrible. Only an idiot would drink it.' But nobody would want something that terrible. An ad doesn't just need to get attention—it needs to sell. Otherwise it's a disaster." When I see this ad, I don't see a company that's made a legitimate product, or that has any sense of professionalism.

anigbrowl 17y ago
Well, if you take this as direct marketing, no. But this is a 6-7 minute video, not really an ad. OK, so call the launch party a cheesy idea (although I'm kinda kicking myself for not pretending to host one and getting a free copy :) ), but if people are going to hold one this is a non-bossy way to give some hints on how. They could have sent out a pdf with a bunch of how to tips but that would have been too corporate. Or they could have just done a page with a bunch of tips, but that might not be very engaging for people who wanted to try the idea. This strikes an OK balance. It reminds me of something like a tupperware party (MLM for plastic kitchen appliances)...maybe a bizarre way to market the product, but also a very low-risk one that follows the most basic and down-to-earth marketing principles - friend's recommendations are the most trustworthy, eye candy only impresses those who have already converted, etc. Same way the cute little girl commercial is aggravating if you wanted muscular tech information, but makes it really easy to envision a family computer than runs Windows. The underlying idea here is that MS wants to be part of people's lives, rather than inviting people to build their lives around their product. It's a subtle difference, but a powerful one. Open bet: MSFT is just under $26 today. I say it'll be $35 by Dec 31.
- deleted 17y ago
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by unalone 17y ago

anigbrowl 17y ago

Well, if you take this as direct marketing, no. But this is a 6-7 minute video, not really an ad. OK, so call the launch party a cheesy idea (although I'm kinda kicking myself for not pretending to host one and getting a free copy :) ), but if people are going to hold one this is a non-bossy way to give some hints on how. They could have sent out a pdf with a bunch of how to tips but that would have been too corporate. Or they could have just done a page with a bunch of tips, but that might not be very engaging for people who wanted to try the idea. This strikes an OK balance. It reminds me of something like a tupperware party (MLM for plastic kitchen appliances)...maybe a bizarre way to market the product, but also a very low-risk one that follows the most basic and down-to-earth marketing principles - friend's recommendations are the most trustworthy, eye candy only impresses those who have already converted, etc. Same way the cute little girl commercial is aggravating if you wanted muscular tech information, but makes it really easy to envision a family computer than runs Windows. The underlying idea here is that MS wants to be part of people's lives, rather than inviting people to build their lives around their product. It's a subtle difference, but a powerful one. Open bet: MSFT is just under $26 today. I say it'll be $35 by Dec 31.

deleted 17y ago
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