Can the Zune HD do to the iPod what the iPod did to... well... itself?

Microsoft's release of the new Zune HD may seem by some as a feeble attempt to jump on Apple's coat tails and try and scrounge up what few followers Apple has left behind. However, I see it as much more than that. Sure its touchscreen media player came a little late, and sure Apple's design of its products is second to none; but at the end of the day isn't it time for something new?

Just as the iPod revolutionized the way we listen to our music, then re-revolutionized the way we watch videos and finally took our fingers for a walk through its applications; the Zune can change the way we interact with the rest of our media.

Apple has built an iPod following based on a simple interface, clever and creative design and simple to use applications. But that which makes it great, also opens up cracks in strategy, cracks big enough, that the Zune may just squeeze through.

I applaud Microsoft's design and development teams. Rather than accept a music-player world dominated by the iPod, they've attempted to understand what the iPod was missing and deliver a new form of satisfaction. So maybe it isn't too late after all. We can never listen to anyone that says it maybe too early or too late for something- who are they to create our time frames? The time is always right at the right time.

Think about it.

DVN

Cutting Costs: Why Marketing?

While watching TV today, I saw a commercial for Bud Light which originally aired on the Oscars of the Advertising World; Super Bowl Sunday. The commercial is a pretty light-hearted one- a bunch of employees sitting around a conference table suggesting different ways to reduce costs until one guy suggests cutting out Bud Light from their meetings... and proceeds to get thrown out of a window. The idea is clever and the commercial is quite humorous, but after re-watching it I realized it carries a pretty somber message.

Before the 'prankster' suggested cutting out the Bud Light, one of his coworkers remarked that the company could "cut back on marketing", and no one thought twice about the prospect. Now granted, times are tough and many companies must figure out new ways of looking at their budgets, but is cutting back on marketing really the way to go? While it seems like the easiest initial solution, I think that, especially today, all office members (from executives down to interns) must realize that marketing is vital for stream-lined business to succeed.

Today's economic environment requires consumers to be much more thoughtful with every dollar that they spend. And good marketing convinces people what to spend their money on. So you'd think it makes sense for companies to look at marketing as a guiding hand for the distribution of their products. Now I'm not saying that flashy, expensive commercials are what the customer wants, or much less needs. What I am saying though, is that companies must reinvent the way they deliver their products to the consumers, and understand that cutting out marketing communication is not a solution, not for the short term and not for the long haul.

We must then ask ourselves, what is it about brands and companies that really resonates within us? So many substitutes exist for the products we use every day, its often impossible to differentiate one from the other. So what makes us decide? Sometimes it's hereditary, we'll drink what our father drank (or even refuse to touch the stuff) but more often, its something that caught our attention be it from a print ad, commercial or even something that we read. My point is, while companies may be quick to judge, and cut the satisfaction that marketers deliver, steps must be taken to prove our worth and show our work.

Think about it.

DVN

A New Perspective

I've been meaning to write one of these for a while now, and now here I am sharing with you my thoughts, ideas and the other stuff I come across daily. So without further delay, let's get this underway.

Today's fast moving world leaves little time for people to think about the well being and livelihood of others. Or so I thought. I came across a new cafe concept in Denver called SAME (So All May Eat: http://www.soallmayeat.org/index.html) based around the idea that no matter who you are and what you can afford, everyone deserves a healthy and dignified meal. Instead of prices or a cash register, patrons are provided with an envelope for them to pay as much or as little as they feel their meal was worth. Those who can, pay more, while those who can't, are encouraged to volunteer their time.

This is a very refreshing look at revisiting the "traditional" business model. Obviously, even today not all gains are monetary and the bottom line is not always profit. In my opinion, today's economic climate calls for exactly this type of new thinking promoting mutual benefit and interdependent relationship within all aspects of business, from modeling to marketing. Views of importance are shifting, and consumers are calling for more than fancy commercials and print ads.

With new developments in technology, why should consumers sit around and watch the same commercials as they did last year? We, as marketers, must deliver solutions that drive at the bottom line and show consumers what they are getting in a new light. Underneath it all, we are all consumers: so why not satisfy our own needs and desires?

Think about it.

Signing off,

DVN