Joe Wilcox2006-10-02T20:36:31Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2007:/analysts/wilcox//27Movable TypeCopyright (c) 2007, Joe Wilcox"A Man"2006-10-02T20:36:31Z2006-10-02T20:23:34Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.71382006-10-02T20:23:34ZA software publisher couldn't pay enough for an endorsement like this. Supposedly, Neil Armstrong muffed his famous line, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." The astronaut was supposed to say "a man," and he thought that he had done so. BBC reports that "an analysis...Digital Home & Personal Tech
A software publisher couldn't pay enough for an endorsement like this.
Supposedly, Neil Armstrong muffed his famous line, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." The astronaut was supposed to say "a man," and he thought that he had done so. BBC reports that "an analysis of the audio files downloaded from NASA's website using GoldWave, a $45 (£24) audio editing program, indicates that the word was spoken but not recorded." He spoke "a" too fast.
I've known about Neil Armstrong's presumed "a" flub since grade school, but I hadn't heard of GoldWave until today.
Software developers don't get marketing opportunities like this one, very often. GoldWave's software may change recorded history. The PR folks should break open the champagne and break out the press releases.
The Light Behind the Lightroom2006-09-25T15:39:18Z2006-09-25T15:39:55Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70912006-09-25T15:39:55ZToday, Adobe issued the fourth beta for forthcoming product Lightroom, which now also carries the Photoshop brand. Photoshop Lightroom is an excellent example of how Adobe is harnessing assets from its Macromedia acquisition. Soon after the acquisition closed, Adobe issued Lightroom Beta 1.0 from what was then still called Macromedia...Digital Home & Personal Tech
Today, Adobe issued the fourth beta for forthcoming product Lightroom, which now also carries the Photoshop brand.
Photoshop Lightroom is an excellent example of how Adobe is harnessing assets from its Macromedia acquisition. Soon after the acquisition closed, Adobe issued Lightroom Beta 1.0 from what was then still called Macromedia Labs. Three betas later--and rebranding to Adobe Labs--development of the new product continues. Macromedia had great developer relations and a fairly different group of developers than Adobe. I don't doubt the decision to release Lightroom betas through the former Macromedia Labs has benefited the product's development.
I get lots of questions about the Adobe-Macromedia merger, and many of them are about product plans. But the merger is much bigger than the products. There are many other synergies that go unnoticed. Product development is often one of them.
Lonelygirl's Lesson2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-09-13T17:17:01Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70232006-09-13T17:17:01ZI've watched with fascination as a community of sleuths hunted down and outed Lonelygirl15. Her YouTube videos--and people's fascination with them--prompted today's New York Times story "The Lonelygirl that Really Wasn't." This week, 18-year old Matt Foremski revealed Lonelygirl15's identity. She's not homeschooled, nor is she lonely. Some of my...
I've watched with fascination as a community of sleuths hunted down and outed Lonelygirl15. Her YouTube videos--and people's fascination with them--prompted today's New York Times story "The Lonelygirl that Really Wasn't." This week, 18-year old Matt Foremski revealed Lonelygirl15's identity. She's not homeschooled, nor is she lonely.
Some of my colleagues will probably look at what the Lonelygirl phenomenon means for viral marketing or user created content on sites like YouTube. I'll take a different tack, noting how much the Web has changed in the last three to four years. The revolution isn't over, it's just beginning.
Blogs, wikis and other Internet tools are harnessing the skills of a large number of people, in a startling collective consciousness that has huge implications for many individuals, communities, governments and businesses. There are lessons, too, about the longevity of Web content and the power of search (cached Google pages helped reveal Lonelygirl's identity).
What happens when the collective consciousness turns to you and your business or products? Ahead of yesterday's Apple "It's Showtime" event, bloggers revealed Apple patent applications and other Internet-gleaned tidbits as a means of guessing what products or services might be revealed. Most of the stuff didn't materialize yesterday, but there's always "one more thing" from Apple. Some of last week's speculation might turn out to be future revelation.
The lesson: Many bloggers or community blogsites specialize in digging out corporate or product secrets, and their genie isn't magically going back into the bottle. Once again, the Web is changing the rules of smart business practice.
Companies that don't understand what has happened over the last few years should electroshock their corporate synapses. JupiterResearch has closely monitored these newer tools and put out blogs, reports and podcasts about them and what they mean to our clients. My colleagues monitoring this stuff are top of field. I pipe in on their behalf because I've been on the Web since 1994, and I have watched lots of changes over the last 12 years. Not since the early days of the Web have I seen such a period of disruptive and, frankly, exciting change.
Some suggested recent reports my colleagues have written:
* Feed Marketing: Use of RSS as Alternate Messaging Medium," June 21, 2006
* Music and Community: Low-Cost, Authentic Promotion," May 19, 2006
* "Blogs and Consumer-Created Content: Publisher Tactics for Meeting the Challenge of Citizen Journalism," April 28, 2006
* "RSS Comes of Age: Budgeting, Deploying, and Measuring RSS," April 26, 2006
* The Future of News: Capturing a New Audience Online," December 20, 2005
* "PR and Blogs: Monitor and Prepare for Inter-Consumer Communication," October 27, 2005
* "User-Created Content: Reaching Younger and More-Involved Readers," October 18, 2005
Weird Al2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-08-25T18:54:59Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70222006-08-25T18:54:59ZMaybe his viral marketing campaign will do more for his upcoming album than "Snakes on the Plane" Internet buzz did for the movie....Marketing
Maybe his viral marketing campaign will do more for his upcoming album than "Snakes on the Plane" Internet buzz did for the movie.
Details Matter2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-07-25T15:59:07Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70212006-07-25T15:59:07ZI definitely agree with Leander Kahney, who in today's Wired online explains "Why I Love Apple." He discusses the "craftsman's attention to detail" and what long-term impact that can have on the customer experience. Speaking personally, my best notebook experiences--where there was a "wow" opening the box and caressing the...Digital Home & Personal Tech
I definitely agree with Leander Kahney, who in today's Wired online explains "Why I Love Apple." He discusses the "craftsman's attention to detail" and what long-term impact that can have on the customer experience.
Speaking personally, my best notebook experiences--where there was a "wow" opening the box and caressing the new purchase--have been with Alienwares, Macs, ThinkPads and VAIOs. That's because Alienware, Apple, IBM (and now Lenovo) and Sony pay attention to design. The second "wow," of discovery and satisfaction because of the "craftsman's attention to detail," has come more consistently from Macs and ThinkPads. Attention to detail reinforces the customer experience over time and demonstrates the manufacturer's pride in its products.
When there is no new discovery of niceties, or worse, the customer experiences what I call "usability hazards," satisfaction can decline. Bluntly: If the manufacturer doesn't care about its product, why should you?
Apple Camp, But Not a Sleepover2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-07-19T19:33:09Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70202006-07-19T19:33:09ZThis morning, my wife took my daughter to the local Apple Store at Montgomery Mall in Betheda, Md., for Apple Camp. My daughter attended a free class for iMovie. She got to make a movie with three other kids (the class had a dozen total) and she left with bunch...Marketing
This morning, my wife took my daughter to the local Apple Store at Montgomery Mall in Betheda, Md., for Apple Camp. My daughter attended a free class for iMovie.
She got to make a movie with three other kids (the class had a dozen total) and she left with bunch of freebees (e.g., Apple Camp swag): Certificate, T-Shirt, Field Journal (e.g., notebook), Field Guide and cloth Apple Camp patch. For the parents that had to hang around for the two-and-a-half hour class, the Apple Store provided complimentary iPods (not to take home, of course, but for in-store listening).
I do know the stores have offered the classes for a few summers, but I don't know what these classes cost Apple to run. Whatever the cost, the end payout has got to be greater. My daughter is suddenly quite excited about iMovie and all the swag has generated good feelings about Apple.
I think other high-tech companies with retail operations, like Dell or Sony, should take a long, hard look at what Apple is doing with these summer educational camps. There are good reasons why McDonalds offers Happy Meals. They create good memories for kids and positive association with the restaurant--and then there are the parents, which are likely to positively respond about anything that benefits their kids (or appears to).
If you want to reach the parents, the kids are a good way about it. Kids are purchase influencers, too, as colleague David Card (he heads up JupiterResearch teen research) can better explain than I. Additionally, Apple Camp exposes the products and the Apple brand to consumers when they're young (and presumably more impressionable).
Best Buy offers Pro Digicam2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-07-06T13:38:14Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70192006-07-06T13:38:14ZSpotted: Canon EOS 5D at my local Best Buy. I was shocked to see it. The full-frame, 12.8-megapixel camera sells for $3,299 before $300 rebate. The target user tends to be semi-pro or professional photographer, so the EOS 5D looked a little out of place next to the $199 digicams....Digital Home & Personal Tech
Spotted: Canon EOS 5D at my local Best Buy. I was shocked to see it. The full-frame, 12.8-megapixel camera sells for $3,299 before $300 rebate. The target user tends to be semi-pro or professional photographer, so the EOS 5D looked a little out of place next to the $199 digicams.
Or, maybe the EOS 5D was where it was supposed to be. Over the last couple of years, I watched stores like Best Buy stock digital SLRs as they reached a certain level of mass-market appeal. Canon broke the less-than-$1,000 price point in 2003 with the Digital Rebel. After a period of time in camera stores, the Canon dSLR and successor Digital Rebel XT moved onto Best Buy store shelves. I remember my surprise, when after a number of months following its release, the Canon EOS 20D made its way to store shelves. The EOS 20D was more of a semi-pro camera, for which Canon's target profile was the demanding wedding photographer.
I don't expect Best Buy sells many Canon 5Ds, but it's safe to assume that the retailer wouldn't stock the high-end digicam if consumers weren't buying at all. As I said last year, lower dSLR prices will open new markets, particularly for people with investment in existing lenses.
Looks like dSLRs sales are bombing. Last week, Nikon said it expects more than a 30-percent rise in its dSLR shipments. Canon and Nikon are both increasing dSLR shipments to meet growing demand.
I'm currently using a Nikon D200 and testing Apple Aperture and Adobe Lightroom, which is Beta 3. I will next look at Windows Vista's new built-in RAW capabilities. While the feature benefits are first for more professional photographers, Apple, Adobe and even Microsoft are developing their software for more general photo enthusiasts shooting dSLRs, too. It's a market in great transition.
John Tucker's MySpace2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-07-03T15:15:56Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70182006-07-03T15:15:56ZYesterday. I took my daughter and a couple of her friends to see "Superman Returns." Previews started after seven commercials. One preview, for movie "John Tucker Must Die," caught my attention. The teen revenge movie has a My Space. It's the first movie trailer that I've seen with a MySpace...Marketing
Yesterday. I took my daughter and a couple of her friends to see "Superman Returns." Previews started after seven commercials. One preview, for movie "John Tucker Must Die," caught my attention. The teen revenge movie has a My Space. It's the first movie trailer that I've seen with a MySpace instead of a Web address. Let me repeat that: No Web address, just a MySpace.
It's a Twentieth Century Fox movie, so the tie-in isn't as shocking (Rupert Murdoch added MySpace to his News Corp empire, which includes Fox, last summer). Still, the tie-in says something about Murdoch's MySpace advertising and branding plans and the site's huge appeal, particularly to younger consumers. Movie studios' approach had been to drive traffic off a branded site, often a domain related to the movie. A branded MySpace is quite different. It will be interesting to see if other studios follow Fox's lead.
Colleague David Card is more the expert in this area--teens, Web marketing and branding--so I defer to his good judgment and more thorough analysis. His recent "MySpace: Fad or Phenomenon?" podcast is a great primer on the social networking site.
Digicams of the Arts2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-06-12T15:54:39Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70172006-06-12T15:54:39ZOn Saturday, my daughter and I (my poor wife was sick) attended the Columbia Festival of the Arts in Columbia, Md. I was struck by the number of digital cameras in use. I only saw one film camera--and I had to look hard to find even that one. While most...
On Saturday, my daughter and I (my poor wife was sick) attended the Columbia Festival of the Arts in Columbia, Md. I was struck by the number of digital cameras in use. I only saw one film camera--and I had to look hard to find even that one.
While most people used click-and-shoot digicams, I saw a whole bunch of digital SLRs. I mean lots--50, at least, by my count, which I'd say was close to a third of all digicams observed. Most people carried the Nikon D50 or Canon EOS Rebel/Rebel XT. I'm not surprised because of the dSLRs' price points.
As I said in March 2005, declining dSLR prices could open up "a new digital camera market for people with lenses and equipment purchased for 35mm film cameras." Increased dSLR demand creates opportunities for software vendors, too. Windows Vista will natively support RAW (as does Mac OS X today). Last year, Apple released Aperture, and Adobe is testing new product Lightroom. Both packages are geared for photo professionals and sophisticated amateurs.
Next month, Sony will enter the dSLR market with the alpha (A100). Specs, including a 10-megapixel sensor, are impressive. The question is what will the camera deliver for $999. If nothing else, Sony's alpha may push down higher-end features to lower prices, just as Canon and Nikon have done. And that's got to be good for dSLR adoption.
Measure of Success2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-05-21T14:20:28Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70162006-05-21T14:20:28ZHow could Apple ask for better than this?...Digital Home & Personal Tech
How could Apple ask for better than this?
Iconic iPod2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-05-08T17:12:57Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70152006-05-08T17:12:57ZThis morning at the doctor's office, I skimmed through the March 15 Business Week. Something in story, "Mickey D's McMakeover," caught my attention. In describing the approach to the resturaunts' new look, McDonalds exec John Miologos said,"Think iPod: clean lines, simplicity." I normally wouldn't equate iPod with McDonalds--and may never....Digital Home & Personal Tech
This morning at the doctor's office, I skimmed through the March 15 Business Week. Something in story, "Mickey D's McMakeover," caught my attention. In describing the approach to the resturaunts' new look, McDonalds exec John Miologos said,"Think iPod: clean lines, simplicity."
I normally wouldn't equate iPod with McDonalds--and may never. But John's statement says much about iPod as an icon, as something much bigger than just a music player, whether iPod influences design or is used simply to describe good design.
Better than YouTube (Almost)2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-04-28T19:30:31Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70142006-04-28T19:30:31ZYesterday, the Firefox folks wrapped up their Firefox Flicks 30-second commercial contest, picking three winners and two honorable mentions. I'm a huge fan of viral marketing, and Mozilla is trying to make the viral easy. Below each movie are links for emailing, embedding or adding to Websites any of the...Marketing
Yesterday, the Firefox folks wrapped up their Firefox Flicks 30-second commercial contest, picking three winners and two honorable mentions. I'm a huge fan of viral marketing, and Mozilla is trying to make the viral easy. Below each movie are links for emailing, embedding or adding to Websites any of the videos. I wonder how many commercials MySpacers will add to their blogsites.
I've long said enthusiasts are the best marketers. Firefox users can not only contribute to improving the open-source browser but promote the heck out of it, too, and share those promotions with friends.
But I've got to say that I liked the honorable mentions, "This is Hot" and "Give Me the Soap" better than the winners.
Surprise, Surprise2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-04-13T21:25:06Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70132006-04-13T21:25:06ZOK, Apple has given another reason for me to jump on my overdeliver soapbox. Today, the company released Aperture 1.1 and cut the price by $200. Apple announced the pro photographer product last October and started shipping around the end of November, which works out to about five months of...Marketing
OK, Apple has given another reason for me to jump on my overdeliver soapbox.
Today, the company released Aperture 1.1 and cut the price by $200. Apple announced the pro photographer product last October and started shipping around the end of November, which works out to about five months of sales. Rather than miff those customers that bought early and paid more, Apple will offer them a $200 coupon. It's not cash back, but 200 bucks spendable at Apple's online store. Purchasers of the Academic version get a $100 coupon.
The perk works to the advantage of the customer and Apple. Who can complain about bucks back--even electronic ones--following a price cut? My cell carrier recently slashed off $150 on the phone I bought two months earlier. Whining in the store got no consideration or refund on the cost difference. The e-bucks back offer is a good way to build customer loyalty and even increase it. After all, the $200 must be spent on stuff Apple sells online.
Who doesn't like surprises? For early Aperture buyers, Apple has a $200 reward. The smart-as-all-hell approach relates to yesterday's post about presence and Apple.
The Answer is Presence2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-04-12T15:38:14Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70122006-04-12T15:38:14ZJulio asks the wrong question about the press and Apple, or maybe he doesn't seek the right answer. He writes: "For some reason journalists seem to be obsessed with Apple, and they also seem to ignore the fact that their market share in the computer world consists of less than...Digital Home & Personal Tech
Julio asks the wrong question about the press and Apple, or maybe he doesn't seek the right answer. He writes: "For some reason journalists seem to be obsessed with Apple, and they also seem to ignore the fact that their market share in the computer world consists of less than 5%."
Some people command presence. They might not be the richest or smartest folks in the room, but they have sway. People notice them. Presence is a quality of character, something I contend Apple has that many other high-tech vendors do not. I don't see the news media ignoring Apple's market share compared to Windows PCs, just that their attention is elsewhere.
Apple's presence--expressed through marketing, branding and vision--makes it seem more important. After all, influence isn't measured in percentage of PC market share. I think that many people see Apple as much (or more) cultural icon as business. The company's vision means something to many people--including members of the news media--and that emotional appeal is part of Apple's presence. What's that expression about being larger than life--or, with Apple, larger than PC market share?
Sell It Like It Is2006-09-20T23:27:47Z2006-04-07T18:08:08Ztag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wilcox//27.70112006-04-07T18:08:08ZBusiness Week has a good primer on making good presentations, using Apple CEO Steve Jobs as role model. Emphasis is on simplicity, clarity and communicating user benefits. I've harped plenty about emphasizing user benefits, their importance over features and putting them in context. In that respect, the Business Week story...Digital Home & Personal Tech
Business Week has a good primer on making good presentations, using Apple CEO Steve Jobs as role model. Emphasis is on simplicity, clarity and communicating user benefits.
I've harped plenty about emphasizing user benefits, their importance over features and putting them in context. In that respect, the Business Week story is more than about presentation; it's also about good marketing practice.