Marketing, Nexus One and strip shows…
January 8th, 2010 Posted by Elisabeth Handler Posted in BlogThe whole point of a strip show is that the lady is naked underneath. That’s the audience’s expectation. If she turns out to be wearing long underwear, it’s going to be a big disappointment.
Google just introduced the Nexus One mobile phone. Leading up to the launch event, Google gave demo phones to selected reporters and provided leaks and hints about how revolutionary the Nexus One would be. At the event, Google execs referred to the Nexus One as not just a smart phone, but a “super phone.”
So reporters and the buying public were ready for an Apple-like shock and awe launch. They didn’t get it.
Brin and Page weren’t even there. The event went on too long, and a reporter actually had to ask Google execs why they were going into the cell phone business.
According to the media coverage, the phone offers a bit more in some ways than the iPhone, and a bit less in others. The Mercury News had a nice little chart with the two products compared feature-by-feature that puts the Nexus One ahead of the iPhone in five out of six features.
But the big mistakes were made way before the event - they promised a naked lady. That the actual stripping down to long-johns was tedious and unfocused is almost beside the point. And here’s where marketing’s most fundamental principle comes into play. It’s all about expectations.
It’s also about positioning, but I’ll save that for a subsequent post.
Google may have a good product, but this launch didn’t do it any favors (great phone, granny pants).
More links on the Nexus One launch:
“The Nexus One press event held by Google today was largely underwhelming, in my opinion.” PC World
“When you look at how Google (GOOG) tried framing its Consumer Electronics Show announcement of the Nexus One telephone, what comes to mind is a loud buzzer as the failed contestant is marched off the stage.” BDNet
