Ravi’s Rants

It’s not really purple in color. But I did mean that it is Purple.

Why?

It’s because of the way it was successful in creating an entirely new industry of “athlete marketing” like never before. Because of how it created a frenzy among consumers. Because of the innovative ways Nike marketed it [for instance, they paid $5,000 in fine for every match that Michael Jordan wore these banned (then) shoes on court].

Not even Apple - to this date - has been able to match the hysteria that these shoes created (have you ever heard anyone getting mugged or killed for an iPod or iPhone?)

And yes, I was a teenager when I read and watched news about people getting mugged and killed for Air Jordan shoes.

Now go make your own Purple shoes.

The folks who buy a new product when it first comes out, are commonly known as the early adopters.

These people - who are not the same as the “beta testers” - actually spend money to buy the product.

They risk the annoyances, technical and usability issues of First-Generation products in exchange for the “Wow” factor that comes with someone stopping by at your table at a restaurant, or interrupting you on the train, or huddling near you at a party, to ask about your cool new toy.

There is a certain coolness and hipness that comes along with owning the latest and greatest gadget.

But what if the gadget itself is considered a failure? What if you just kept reading poor reviews everywhere you look, especially from the people and web sites and blogs you visit and respect?

Would you still shell out hard-earned-money when you know there is very little “Wow” factor in it for you?

I’m not an early adopter in any way. I am usually on the other end of the curve, buying only the latest version of the most proven products, after the product has been out for a while, after reading tons of reviews and doing a lot of online research.

Even I was initially tempted to get the new Amazon Kindle. But after reading poor reviews everywhere, I finally pulled the plug on this item from my wish list.

Here’s one of the best, most balanced, most informative reviews I’ve read about the kindle.

So, don’t take my word - judge the Kindle for yourself.

If you drink coffee at Starbucks, you’ll surely appreciate this: 54 cents Refills For Starbucks Coffee .

Going by the PageRank (PR 6), you can guess how many sites are linking to this post on JoelOnSoftware. The content is that powerful.

Here’s the summary:

1. Fix everything two ways
2. Suggest blowing out the dust
3. Make customers into fans
4. Take the blame
5. Memorize awkward phrases
6. Practice puppetry
7. Greed will get you nowhere

Post: 7 Steps To Remarkable Customer Service

“The _____ swept down from the hills like a dark and hungry wind.

The first thing anyone would notice would be the _____, its long white hair flew wildly in the breeze generated by the two swinging katanas that had been enchanted to draw blood from anything, even lamp posts and cheese.

Raised in a school for ninjas who also did kung fu and kickboxing as a hobby, the _____ was …. but also possessed the secret skill of being able to ….”

I challenge you to fill in the “_____”. What do you think the text is about?

Well, then I guess you probably haven’t heard about Woot.

The passage above, is the product description of a “HP 3210 All-in-One Printer”. Yes, a printer!

Woot sells exactly one product a day - at a pretty good price. They’re not the cheapest, yet they almost always sell out the same day. Within hours, sometimes. And they don’t carry the same product more than once.

The product descriptions are remarkable: they give you the highlight, and are incredibly funny. These guys have a great sense of humor, and everything about their site has a Wootouch to it.

Today, they’re partnering with a big company. And like most other companies, they could’ve written a plain, boring press release like this one (yawn).

But Woot is different, of course. They had to do it in style.

Woo Woo, Woot!

The iPhone launched at $599 (8GB) and $499 (4GB).

About two months later, Apple deprecates the latter, and slashes $200 off the former.

The early adopters get mad.

Should Apple care? They didn’t have to. But they did (Steve Jobs letter).

Great strategy (in-store credit). Great PR. Gotta love Apple.

James Bond	Jason Bourne	Jack Bauer

Think it’s a coincidence that these three super crime-fighting-machines share the same initials? I think not.

Bourne was bourne as America’s answer to the ultimate killing machine and British super spy who is the only one (other than God) who can save the Queen: James Bond.

Last night, I watched “The Bourne Ultimatum”. Last week, I got through Season 3 of “24″ (I know! I’m trying to catch up).

Bourne and Bauer are the “Bond”s of the new millenium, with Bauer doing the honors for the small screen.

• Bond is super-slick. Bourne is your boy-next-door.
• Bond is stylish - he drives the hottest cars, wears Prada suits. Bourne dresses like a bum.
• Bond has impeccable hair. Bourne sports a close-shaven, military cut.
• Bond drinks “shaken” martinis. Bourne probably drinks cheap, adulterated liquor (especially when in Russia and India).
• Bond gets the ultimate gadgets made for him. Bourne simply borrows a few from his enemies (after he’s knocked them out cold).
• Bond doesn’t blink before killing. Bourne is torn apart when he has to kill someone.
• Bond’s women are plastic bimbos that add nothing to the plot. Bourne and Bauer’s women (except for Kim Bauer, of course) are intelligent, have character, and are a lot more than sex-toys for their men.
• Bond insults women with his use-and-throw attitude towards them; Bourne and Bauer love and respect their women, and mourn for them.
• Bond has no identifiable weakness, but Bourne has his girlfriend, and Bauer his family - and drug addiction problem.
• Bond has a smirk on his face at the end of the day; Bourne has nightmares about the people he killed, and Bauer weeps like a baby (end of season 3) for deliberately killing a fellow-agent.

Bourne and Bauer: These two are every man’s (and woman’s) ultimate heroes. They look ordinary, dress ordinary, their emotions are pretty ordinary (in a good way): they weep, they flinch, they feel guilt, they hesitate, they love and they mourn - just like you and me.

What separates them from the cold, merciless, super-cool bond who will blow up a hangar killing 200 men and bed a super sexy foreign-language-speaking babe - all in a day’s work - is that these guys feel real. Yes, they have extraordinary kick-ass talents, but the way they go about their life, is identifiable by the average person in the 21st century, where Bond comes across as fake (gasp!)

There are a few take-aways from the skyrocketing success of Bourne and Bauer, and the declining fortunes of Bond (until the entry of Craig - but that is another post altogether).

• Yes, you certainly can take a competitor’s product (Bond), localize it (Americanize it), add better features, benefits, or simply make it a better product (Jason Bourne), repackage it, resell it, and be insanely successful. Yes, you can copy your competitors, and still beat them at it.
• Your audience has to be able to identify with your brand. Bond’s brand is tired, old and spent. You just stop wishing he were so darn perfect! Bourne and Bauer have created their own brands - they are quite imperfect, very real, merciful, emotional, humble, vulnerable, think-before-you-shoot and one-woman types.
• Predictability is not always a good thing. That’s why Daniel Craig’s newest Bond is trying to re-invent Bond - when asked by the bartender how he wants his drink, says ““Do I look like I care?”.
• Reality is a lot more powerful than fiction. The ratings-success of Saturday Night Live, Survivor, and even terrible shows like Big Brother is in-your-face proof. Even fictional characters - like Spiderman and Superman - have to be and feel like they are real.
• Credibility comes from being believable. Make your site copy believable, make your “benefits” believable, make your “U.S.P” believable, and when your customers call you, don’t greet them like a pre-recorded voice recording (think: shrill “Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment” voice of annoying secretary from “Office Space”).

Be true to yourself. Be real. With your your friends, your family, your children, your colleagues, and with yourself.

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