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TUAW One-to-One with Jonathan Kressaty of Levers
In this episode of One-to-One, I'm speaking with Jonathan Kressaty of the marketing analytics company, Levers. Kressaty moved to San Francisco a short while ago, and we spend most of the episode talking about public perceptions of the Bay area's tech scene versus what it is really like from someone who it there, living and working and building a business. Previously living Arizona, Kressaty's insights about Silicon Valley's tech industry may be surprising to anyone who has never visited. Brogrammer culture, overworking, networking, making great products and having a work/life balance are all on tap in this episode, which clocks in under 20 minutes. Enjoy! You can listen below using the Libsyn player or subscribe via iTunes here.
The subtle brilliance of Apple's product names
While recently browsing through some Sony camcorders on Amazon, I was struck by how nonsensical and downright confusing tech companies can be when naming their products. How can the average consumer, without engaging in an extensive amount of online research, really differentiate a Sony HDR-CX430V camcorder from a Sony HDR-PJ380/B camcorder? Both are mid-level Sony camcorder models released in 2013, but if you want to find out how they differ, you better start scouring the web for reviews or reading the fine print on Amazon product pages. Of course, you could try and wade through Sony's own website, but it's a jumbled mess not intended for the faint of heart. While Sony has a notorious reputation for product names that would fit more aptly on a line of industrial robots, it's not the only offender. Let's say I'm looking for a new laptop. Should I go with an HP 2000-2b19wm notebook or maybe an Acer C710-2834? Compounding this problem is that tech companies have a bad tendency to release a slew of new products every year in a misguided effort to appeal to every type of user under the sun. The end result is utter confusion. Apple, of course, does things much differently. If you want an Apple laptop, you can choose between a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and a MacBook Pro with Retina display. There are also only three desktop devices that Apple offers: the iMac, the Mac mini and the Mac Pro. There are two iPad models Apple currently advertises on its website -- the iPad Air and the iPad mini, both with Retina displays. What's brilliant about Apple's naming scheme is that the product names themselves help potential customers, from the very start, understand who the product is tailored for and how it differs from other models. The MacBook Pro moniker, for example, signals that the machine is geared toward professionals and consumers looking for extra horsepower. The MacBook Air moniker, on the other hand, points to a product that's light, thin and uber-portable. Even consumers who don't know much about technology can likely appreciate, at first glance, the difference between an iPad mini and an iPad Air. Coupled with a streamlined product line, Apple's product lineup is easy to digest and comprehend. There's no need for pushy salesmen trying to explain the differences between various product models, nor is there a need for endless lines of fine print detailing obscure technical specifications. Apple's simplified naming scheme helps remove a layer of confusion and intimidation that often accompanies tech related purchases. In doing so, the shopping experience at Apple is much more streamlined as consumers find it easier to make more informed purchasing decisions. With Apple releasing new products every year, ensuring that product lines and names remain simple isn't always a straightforward task. Apple, though, has demonstrated a unique awareness and commitment to keeping its product line simple across multiple generations. The iPad, in this regard, provides a perfect case study. The original iPad hit store shelves in April of 2010, soon followed by the iPad 2, which was released in March of 2011. When the third-generation iPad was released in March of 2012, Apple by and large decided to forgo the numeric naming scheme and instead advertised the device simply as the all-new iPad. Instead of a scenario with the original iPad, the iPad 2 and iPad 3 floating around, Apple kicked numerical suffixes to the side and started anew. When the fourth-gen iPad was released, Apple, again, didn't refer to it as the iPad 4. Rather, it often began referring to it as the iPad with Retina display. Just one year later, Apple simplified things even further when it unveiled the iPad Air, a product whose name itself embodies its appeal. The iPad Air is 20 percent thinner and 28 percent lighter than its predecessor, impressive improvements that would have been otherwise more challenging to convey if the device was merely referred to as the fifth-generation iPad. With respect to the iPhone, Apple has done things a bit differently. While the company traditionally abhors naming its products in numerical succession, it has no problem doing so when it comes to the iPhone, its largest cash driver. Nonetheless, keeping abreast of which iPhone is which is rather straightforward for two reasons. One, Apple releases a new iPhone model every year in and around the same timeframe. Two, and more importantly, the flagship feature in each new iPhone model, thanks to Apple's marketing prowess, often comes to define each new iPhone model. As a result, using numbers to differentiate between new and old iPhone models doesn't add a significant layer of confusion. The iPhone 4s, for example, was largely heralded for Siri. The iPhone 5, the first iPhone with a larger display, was easy to differentiate. The iPhone 5s, meanwhile, is easily differentiated by the device's fingerprint-authorization sensor. In other words, when new features are so great that they themselves serve to differentiate a product from earlier models, a number-based naming scheme is not terribly confusing. By way of contrast, I hopped on over to Samsung's website and here are a few of the smartphone models I came across. Samsung Galaxy S 4 Samsung Galaxy Express Samsung Galaxy Amp Samsung Denim Samsung Comment 2 Samsung Galaxy Rush Samsung Galaxy Reverb Samsung Array Good luck trying to figure out the differences between these products. I myself am curious as to how the name Samsung Denim ever got green-lit, but I digress. Ultimately, Apple has an advantage over the competition with respect to naming simplicity on account of its relatively sparse product line. With so few products, coming up with descriptive names for said products is remarkably easier. In contrast, let's take a look at the laptop and ultrabook lineup of Lenovo, one of the more popular PC manufacturers today. There are 14 different categories to choose from. And as if that wasn't confusing enough, it's seemingly impossible for anyone to practically differentiate between any of them. The T Series, for example, covers premium laptops while the X Series offers thin and light laptops. Are we then supposed to assume that thin and light laptops are not premium laptops? They surely aren't machines to be used for gaming, listening to music and video editing because that's what the Y and Z series are presumably for, right? Indeed, this is a problem that has plagued tech companies for years. Looked at from this perspective, it's not so much that Apple gets product naming right as it is that the competition gets it oh so wrong.
Unleashing the tech show hype beast
There's a technological revolution going on; innovation is at an all-time high; and we've seen it all before. While many of the devices we've seen this week are new and even exciting, the unending hymn of hyperbole that echoes through the halls of the LVCC is an old standard. For months leading up to the big show, small startups and tech giants flood the inboxes of tech journalists, attempting to catch their attention with bold and often ridiculous claims. And on the show floor, sprawling booths from the likes of Samsung and LG boast laundry lists of "world's firsts." Each year, we put all of that aside to bring you only the freshest goods CES has to offer -- until now. It's time to unleash the hype beast!
Dell portrays itself as a feisty startup in its first ad after going private (video)
Now that Dell is once again a private company, it's trying to shake off its reputation as a member of the status quo. Appropriately, the PC builder just unveiled a new TV ad that suggests it has all the energy and vision of a technology startup. The minute-long spot connects Dell's mindset to that of companies like Dropbox, Gilt and Skype, which started out in modest places but went on to accomplish great things. We're hopeful that the ad reflects fresh thinking in Round Rock's offices, but actions will speak louder than words -- it's hard to believe that a tech giant can be as nimble and innovative as a tiny outfit with something to prove.
Women are a major marketing target for Ever, Jane
Maybe you're not quite the target market for Ever, Jane. You may not like the works of Jane Austen, for example; that would be a major deterrent. But according to project head Judy L. Tyrer, one of the major areas she wants to target is the women's market, which she feels is neglected by companies as a whole. She feels that one of the major failings of game companies is failing to realize how large the game market is for women. Tyrer goes into more depth about the game's mechanics, noting that what appealed to her as a designer was the rigid stratification of social classes in Austen's work. Social movement is a major element of the gameplay, with most of players' time devoted to attending balls and gossiping about one another. No word on endgame raids against Mister Darcy or whether or not wit will be seen as an overpowered stat.
British Airways' digital billboard identifies planes as they pass overhead (video)
We're no stranger to digital billboards -- Engadget made its own big-screen debut in Times Square back in 2011 -- but British Airways' latest endeavor is unlike any we've seen before. According to The Drum, the new advertisement, installed front and center at London's Piccadilly Circus, uses "custom-built surveillance technology" to track incoming BA aircraft, prompting the screen to display a child pointing directly at the plane as it passes overhead. The adjacent text offers up the flight number and its origin or destination, along with a custom message, such as the lowest fare for that route or the current weather where that plane is headed. The airline's new #lookup campaign is marketing at its best -- see for yourself in the video after the break.
Samsung to provide courtside tech for the NBA in reported $100 million deal
If you're tired of product placements in your favorite dramatic series, you won't get any relief if you switch over to hoops instead. Samsung has confirmed that it just signed on to become the official NBA provider of televisions and tablets in a deal which the WSJ says is worth $100 million. That means fans will see close calls being reviewed by refs on Samsung tablets, for instance, while the NBA in turn will work with Samsung to create customized content for NBA League Pass. The deal comes on the heels of recent Samsung endorsements by LeBron James and Jay-Z , showing the Korean giant is willing to spread those profits around to up its brand cachet.
Microsoft puts the focus back on gaming with Xbox One 'Invitation' ad
Sony exploited the nostalgia of the PlayStation brand a few days ago and now it's Microsoft's turn to slosh some ad money around. The latest clip to be released on the official Xbox YouTube channel is simply called "Invitation," and it might be best be summed up as the exact opposite of the original Xbox One launch event. Instead of emphasizing Kinect, HDMI in/out and TV overlay features, what's being sold here is straight-up gaming immersion, with titles like Titanfall and Fifa 14 dominating the first part of the clip, leaving just a few seconds of screen time for movies, Skype and voice commands. This focus tallies with Microsoft's wider effort to re-jig its image among gamers, but it probably also has a lot to do with geography: this looks like a global advertisement and some parts of the world may not benefit so heavily from Microsoft's US-centric TV and content deals.
Devs can now use all iPhone 5s colors in marketing
Apple has updated its developer guidelines to allow developers to use all colors of the iPhone 5s in product marketing. Previously developers were only officially allowed to use the black iPhone likeness for marking, though many developers ignored this rule and used the white iPhone as well, suggesting Apple rarely enforces this rule. Now however, developers have Apple's official blessing to use whatever color iPhone 5s body they want in their app promo shots: Space Gray, White and Silver, or Gold. Something tells me Gold is going to be particularly popular. Developers can download the latest product image templates here.
Microsoft addresses fears over Xbox One targeted advertising
Microsoft has responded to questions raised by a recent Advertising Age report, which suggested that Xbox One users could offer up a "data treasure trove" for marketing and advertising purposes. Microsoft Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Yusuf Mehdi addressed the Xbox One's potential for targeted advertising during a speech at the Association of National Advertisers Masters of Marketing Conference last week. Mehdi hinted that the Xbox One's bundled Kinect peripheral could track living room activity in order to serve users better-targeted dashboard advertisements. Responding to a request for comment from Eurogamer, a Microsoft representative linked to this forum post from Microsoft Director of Product Planning Albert Penello, regarding a previous marketing-focused interview. Penello assures that the company will not use the Kinect's player-tracking features to collect data for its previously outlined Natural User Interface Advertisements. "[...] Someone was talking about how some of the new Xbox One Kinect features *could* be used in advertising - since we can see expressions, engagement, etc. and how that might be used to target advertising," Penello wrote. "This is the point that seems to draw some controversy." Penello continued: "First - nobody is working on that. We have a lot more interesting and pressing things to dedicate time towards. [...] I'm not aware of any active work in this space. Second - if something like that ever happened, you can be sure it wouldn't happen without the user having control over it. Period."
Samsung exec admits Galaxy Gear smartwatch 'lacks something special'
In an unusual bout of frankness, a Samsung official has acknowledged that the Galaxy Gear smartwatch lacks, you know, whatever the Korean is for je ne sais quoi. As reported by the Korea Times, the unnamed official said: "We've acknowledged that our Gear lacks something special. With more investment for user interface and user experience, Samsung devices will be better in terms of customer satisfaction." We're not sure if the source of the quote is Samsung's VP of strategic marketing, Lee Don-joo, but this exec is quoted in the same Korea Times article as saying that the watch is "definitely receiving a warm response" and that improvements would stem from software tweaks and the hiring of new UI experts, rather than from the development of a whole new device. He described the Gear as part of Samsung's drive to create new categories of "wow product" and, in virtually the same gasp, he also reiterated that Samsung would launch some sort of heavily curved -- or perhaps even partially bendable -- smartphone in Korea next month.
Mac App of the Week: Mail Designer Pro
If you're a small business owner, chances are you try to collect a mailing list of customers who are open to getting newsletters and announcements from you. In order to make such newsletters appealing on a mobile device, you previously needed to hire a graphic designer and / or coder to create a nice HTML5-compatible newsletter that looks good in any email client, on any size device's screen (that is, unless you happen to possess these skills yourself). But that's all changed with the release of Equinux's Mail Designer Pro. Mail Designer Pro allows virtually anyone to quickly, easily and beautifully create rich HTML5 newsletters that look amazing in anyone's inbox. When you launch the app, you can select from more than 25 completely customizable templates in categories like Diner, Fashion, Jewelry, Travel and more. Select a template and you are then taken to the main page layout windows where you can tweak the template to your liking, including adding your own custom photos, text, styles and layouts. If you're familiar with Pages or InDesign, you'll feel pretty comfortable with the apps organization from the get go. What's really nice about Mail Designer Pro, besides the ease of use of creating professional-looking newsletters, is the fact that you can easily share drafts of the newsletters with others in your company. You do this by clicking the "Lend" button. It sends the file to your recipient who can open it on their copy of Mail Designer Pro, make changes and lend it back to you. But perhaps the best part of Mail Designer Pro is that it has mobile in mind. Nowadays many of us use our smartphones or iPads to check out email. Mail Designer Pro ensures that any newsletter you create will look gorgeous on your recipient's screen -- no matter what the size. It does this by building in design and support tools for creating newsletters formatted for multiple devices. You can even open up virtual iPads, iPhones and Android devices on your Mac desktop to see what the newsletter will look like and how it will act when scrolled. Essentially Mail Designer Pro takes the nerve-wracking guess work of "I wonder how this will look on my hundreds of recipients' various screen sizes." With Mail Designer Pro, your newsletters will look gorgeous no matter what the device they are being viewed on. When you're done creating your newsletter, you can send it to your email list without leaving Mail Designer Pro. Mail Designer Pro is a must-have OS X app for anyone with a small business or even medium- to large-sized companies with small marketing departments and budgets. Mail Designer Pro costs US$99.99 and is available on the Mac App Store or via Equinux's website, where users can download a trial version for free.
Google's AdID, an anonymous identifier for advertising, could replace the aging cookie
You know the drill: accept the cookie, delete the cookie, empty the cookie bin, and so on. Mostly, it's an exercise used when attempting to get your mum's PC to run a wee bit faster, but if you think about it, the cookie is one of the most archaic pieces of the world wide web that's still in use today. Naturally, Google is swooping in in a bid to change the status quo, according to a new report from USA Today. Essentially, the search giant is building an "anonymous identifier for advertising, or AdID, that would replace third-party cookies as the way advertisers track people's internet browsing activity for marketing purposes." Perhaps astoundingly, it sounds as if the project could benefit both consumers (by shielding true identities) and advertisers at the same time. Of course, pundits are concerned about the global leader in online advertising controlling the technology that tracks movements on the web, but to us, it sounds as if end users will get far more power over who sees what when compared to today's cookies.
Trion's senior vice president of marketing talks RIFT, Defiance, and business
There's been a bunch of bad news swirling around Trion Worlds recently, but a new interview with the company's senior vice president of marketing, Noah Maffitt, is far more positive. Maffitt isn't talking about game mechanics or design principles but results, and by those metrics RIFT did quite well with its free-to-play conversion. Sales went up, player figures went up, and his forecast for the game's future seems quite rosy. One of the major elements Maffitt discusses is the company's willingness to try different marketing techniques compared to those traditionally used in the industry. He stresses the need for businesses to change with the times, noting that free-to-play models are something to embrace as a new direction of the marketplace. The result is a need to be more analytical and flexible in strategies and have quicker turnarounds for what does or does not work, a strategy being used with vigor with Defiance. If the business side interests you, check out the full interview with Maffitt.
Hold This Cat: HTC and Robert Downey Jr. kick off $1 billion 'Change' campaign (update: full video)
"Big things ahead?" Well, it looks like HTC's earlier tweet wasn't a cheeky hint at the upcoming 5.9-inch One Max; but rather, it was a tribute to the sheer scale of the new "Here's To Change" global ad campaign. The company has just confirmed that it did indeed sign Robert Downey Jr. for a two-year deal, which includes starring him in the ads as well as getting his creative input in the process. Given CMO Ben Ho's promise to make the company's voice louder, it's no surprise that he's spending the same amount as last year's worldwide sales and marketing budget -- about $1 billion -- on this campaign alone, according to an HTC spokesperson. Not bad for Ho's first big act since he joined the company towards the end of last year. We were also told that the entire "Change" campaign should cover the span of 24 to 36 months, during which it'll be split into three phases. As part of the first phase, come Thursday a whacky two-minute TV ad will begin to air in key markets, featuring Downey and his fellow actors blurting out what "HTC" could stand for -- "Humongous Tinfoil Catamaran," "Hipster Troll Carwash," "Hold This Cat" and more -- in order "to invoke interest and talkability amongst consumers." Interestingly, you won't find many mentions of any HTC phone in the first full ad, but the subsequent phases of the campaign will eventually focus on the mobile features. There's no word on the timeframe for each phase just yet due to all sorts of variables. It remains to be seen whether Downey's contribution will help drive sales numbers, something that HTC desperately needs to just about survive these days. Perhaps an Iron Man special edition One could be considered? Yes please. Anyhow, press release after the break. Update: We've now embedded the full two-minute TV ad after the break.
Some Assembly Required: Want a real living story? Try a sandbox!
I'm going to criticize Guild Wars 2 this week, or more accurately, ArenaNet. I know, I know. I might as well change the name of this column to How to Alienate Friends, Co-workers, and Commenters. As a qualifier, I don't play Guild Wars 2. I have in the past, briefly, but my criticisms today are mostly directed at ANet's marketing folks or whoever is responsible for the Living Story refrain that gets sillier and sillier every time I hear it.
Former Nokia head of sales takes his expertise to Huawei (updated)
The last time we caught up with news of Colin Giles was a year ago, right after some particularly downbeat Nokia financials, when he left the Finnish manufacturer to spend more time with his family. Now, having clocked up sufficient mileage in his station wagon, he's accepted a major role at Huawei as an executive VP responsible for consumer sales and marketing. He brings with him 20 years' experience of growing Nokia's market share in Asia and beyond, including a 12-month stint within its Leadership Team, all of which will now be put to work undoing itself and potentially adding to a sense of encroachment. Update: We've added the press release after the break.
Microsoft, Telefonica teaming up to push Windows Phone 8 devices in Europe, Latin America
Windows Phone 8 may be third in the league table, but we doubt Microsoft is satisfied with its bronze medal. That's why it's signed a one year marketing deal with Telefonica that'll see the world's fifth largest mobile network pushing WP8 handsets in Europe and Latin America. According to the release, the pair will offer customers Redmond's cloud services like Office 365, Skydrive and "Xbox" in an attempt to coax users away from the 'current duopoly of Android and iOS." Unfortunately there's no details on the specifics of the deal, so we'll guess the pair teamed up purely out of a sense of altruism.
May NPD: 3DS steals top console spot
The Nintendo 3DS finally edged out the Xbox 360 in May 2013 as the best selling console across hardware and portables, according to the NPD's monthly report on the retail sector. In what the NPD claims was a slow month overall, the 3DS landed three different games on the top 10 (including Donkey Kong Country Returns at number three, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon at number five, and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes at number 10), and saw a sixty percent growth in software sales overall since last May. 3DS hardware sales were only even year-over-year, but that was enough to finally supplant the Xbox 360 as the top-selling platform. The other consoles didn't fare quite so well, with Injustice: Gods Among Us keeping the top spot for video game sales. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 jumped back up into the number two spot, and Battlefield 3 reappeared at number nine. Metro: Last Light had a relatively successful showing in the number six spot, while Trion's Defiance MMO fell right off the list, after starting off at number five in April. Accessories saw a six-percent drop to $115.3 million, according to the NPD, with most of that money coming from Skylanders.
Apple goes after app news release for being 'at odds' with 'entire reason Apple exists'
Apple took a dislike recently to a press release announcing the availability of a new app. After Tim Cook passed this week on a question about sharing solutions across iCloud, the CEO of a company making an app named Glide, Donald Leka, sent out a press release for his app stating that "consumers really don't care that much what platform they are on, where their files are stored, or what the file types and file formats are." That apparently earned Leka the ire of Apple Worldwide Developer Relations, who sent him a memo suggesting he see things as a bit more Apple-centric. Customers do care about what platform they're on, said Apple's rep, adding that "the tone of your release and your product positioning is at odds with not just our primary marketing messaging, but the entire reason Apple exists." Apple suggested that Leka reword his messaging, to target specifically customers' feelings around the iPhone and the version of Glide for that platform, and not to talk about other platforms or apps connected to it. It is a bit strange to hear about Apple getting so involved in a single app's marketing, and I'm not sure I agree entirely with Apple's customers only wanting to hear about one option on one platform. But then again, Apple is going to be biased about what platforms customers should use -- the company wouldn't want its customers even considering any other platforms than iOS or Mac. The dev relations rep seems overeager, but at least he's pushing the company line, right? [via Forbes]
