WOW Branding

I am sure all of you have seen the Mac/ PC commercials where you see Mac's point of view: where it's the reliable, cool and hip versus the unreliable, clunky and old school operating system! And I am sure you have to agree that Mac has a much better differentiation strategy than the PC, but why is it still a PC dominated world. Maybe Macs position of pointing out all the pains and frustrations are just not to convert users? Maybe people don’t care for an unreliable operating system - but rather they are scared of change. Or maybe, like the cell phone, people want to upgrade their operating system - so they can get the next cool trend.

Brand evangelists and marketers can all agree that Apple has done a brilliant job of differentiating themselves by merely simplifying an operating system and reinforcing it with great customer service. Although we constantly see Microsoft upgrade their processor - they still don’t change their service model or fix the “buggy, crashing” operating system. Why is that. Do they know they are giving Apple a competitive edge... Do they even care?

One has to wonder who will win and rule the computing world?

Yes Macs are cool and PC’s are more prone to crashes and viruses - but yet there are significantly more PC users than Mac users, at least 70% according to one statistic. So whose brand is stronger? The fact that the PC does very little to defend itself makes me wonder why everyone isn’t on a Mac already... The campaign has been going since 2006. But then I realize that "PC" is not even an actual brand that belongs to one company; therefore it cannot stand up and defend itself against the onslaught of Mac inspired insults. Microsoft occasionally takes the helm, these days with their I'm a PC and I'm 5 years old.

It’s similar to the Volkswagen trend, and the movement that followed when they first made their comeback in the car world. Volkswagen created a Jetta club - the trendy, urbanites drive Jetta's; this was their differentiation strategy to give re-birth to an old, tired brand. We have been witnessing these cool trend setting brands for years - but is it really enough to gain market share over competition or is it merely just a trend that will pass? I mean really - you have to admit - there are way more geeky computer nerds than cool, creative computer guys.

I was a PC user but switched to Mac, and I am happy about it. I mean, the time I save on my Mac versus a PC because of crashing and virus scans, I was able to finally take a vacation!!!

I am young - I am cool... hey! I am a Mac!
Will this message alienate the Old, Traditional, Corporate types that don't consider themselves super cool? i.e. big businesses.  and eventually drive them into the arms of their good old PC.? The devil they know all too well.

Recently after being in a long-term relationship I found myself to be fabulously free and single. As an out-going, independent, modern gal my first instinct to meet new people was to go through the inconspicuous, the “be-who-I-want-to-be” route of on-line dating.  Through this experience I became acutely aware of all the branding involved in this modern world of dating.

At my disposal the three dating services that popped out at me were Plenty of Fish, Lavalife and E-harmony. In short, Plenty of Fish resembles the traditional night club of the dating scene, Lavalife’s positioned as a urban online lounge or a trendy coffee shop and E-harmony has replaced the traditional “meeting through friends” scene. Not only are the on-line dating companies specialized and target specific, I too was becoming a commodity.

After a couple of weeks of sending smiles, “ping-ing” people, or checking profile photos and passing judgement, I found myself browsing and selecting potential candidates with no substance or merit. I was picking out my ideal man like I was shopping at the grocery store - looking for good colour, freshness and ideally, some firmness.

In the end I came to the conclusion that online dating only succeeds through our failure and desperation of finding the “happily ever after”. It does amaze me how consumed we - social interactive beings- have been trained to communicate with the least amount of effort ever. We have become a digitized generation, lowering our social skills through the use of social online networks.

After my experiences online this fabulous commodity has gone offline, appreciating the real life - with real people.

To be continued....