January 17, 2005
control the conversation
“Control the conversation by improving the conversation”.
It’s my new post-Cluetrain marketing mantra. I first mentioned it here.
And I think Microsoft is doing a good job of putting that idea into practice, by letting Robert Scoble keep a blog. Whether that was deliberate or just a happy accident, I don’t know, but it’s good to see.
Robert left a few good points in the comments of a recent gapingvoid post:
Hugh: actually, you’re onto something there. Microsoft is actually run like 100 different companies. Very decentralized.
Apple is very centralized. Steve Jobs calls the shots (and gets most of the credit).
Personally, I think that longterm Microsoft’s approach makes more sense.
It also is why blogging is happening at Microsoft but not at Apple.
Could you imagine an Apple employee telling Steve Jobs how to make his company better on a public blog? I can’t.
But, longterm, which approach works best? I guess we’ll have to stick around to find out, but I doubt that in another decade that either Gates or Jobs will be running their companies. What then?
By the way, you’re asking the wrong question when you are asking for the next “big thing.“
Instead, look for the small things.
Hint: my brother-in-law at Apple told me that the Mac team never thought the iPod would be successful. They thought the iPod was too small to be a major success (small market, that is). Heck, even the analysts were saying that.
We’re not good at seeing the small things. It’s why there’s a Google today and why the iPod kicked our behind.
My question was not so much, what is the next big “thing”, but more, what is the next big “idea”. Huge difference.
In The Hughtrain I say a company’s primary purpose is to act as an “Idea Amplifyer”. I’m not sure what idea Bill Gates or his people are trying to amplify right now. But Microsoft is massive and decentralized; therein lies the problem– or competitive advantage. Decentralized companies are good places for anarchists to thrive. Why Microsoft doesn’t appropriate that more into their branding schtick is an interesting question.
However, I do think Apple’s iPod success will be short lived. Why? Because Apple, by insisting on owning both the hardware and the software– the iPod and the iTunes– is turning itself into yet another closed system. Just like what they did with Macintosh in the 1980s. And we all know what happened then. Utter disaster.
It’s just a portable stereo, Guys. It’s just an MP3 delivery system, Guys. In the grand scheme of things, neither one is that hard to improve on. Neither one is invulnerable.
As for Microsoft– I’ve been writing ads long enough to know that their current “Your Potential, Our Passion” ad campaign wasn’t written by a freak, a visionary, or a poet. It was written by a marketing committee. Are they happy about that? I wouldn’t be.
"Hugh's Daily Cartoon" Newsletter.
A new cartoon sent out every weekday morning to your inbox [RSS version here.].
A wee chuckle to start your day off right etc.
If I am ever given marketing power the first thing I’ll do is get rid of that campaign and do something interesting.
I like Jeff Bezo’s idea: don’t spend money on advertising, just make better products and services.
That said, it’s a crying shame that we aren’t demonstrating the Tablet PC and Media Center on TV shows.
D’accord, Robert
Microsoft’s big idea?
Heh, my old boss at the camera store I used to work at used to yell at me to “sell what you got.“
So, what do we have?
Eight areas where software is useful: your wrist; your pocket; your office; your coffee table; your TV; your server (yes, for home or work); your kitchen; your car (two places: dash and back seat); embedded devices (sewing machines, exercise bikes, et al).
So, let’s look at what we got there.
SPOT watches for your wrist. http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=23473#23473
SmartPhones, PocketPCs for your pocket. http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=7334#7334
All sorts of stuff for your office (Tablet PC being best)
Tablet PC for your coffee table (pictures look awesome on it)
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=8248#8248
Small Business Server for your server (or, lots of other things including SQL Server and Exchange).
Your kitchen? Hmmm. Gotta look into that.
Your car? Windows CE-based AutoPC (or, you can roll your own with Windows XP).
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=15096
and
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=26133#26133
Ever see a digital sewing machine? I have, it’s lots of fun.
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=10924#10924
Cool Robert, now you just have to synthesize all this into a single “Purpose-Idea”.
Quoting the hem-hem Hughtrain again: “It’s not enough for them to love your product, they have to love your proccess as well.“
It’s what Apple (read: Steve Jobs) are masters at, even us Windows-using heretics know that.
Still, Micosoft has an opportunity to develop the “decentralized anarchist” schtick further.
Apple doesn’t, because as every schoolchild knows… it’s all about Steve.
Another haiku
Life unfolds wonder Sun-caressed Hugh berates God Where
Hugh: why does Robert have to synthesise it at all? I think the single “purpose-idea” is a bit of a red herring. People become attached to organisation for a whole variety of different reasons; not the same one.
Just because something works for Apple doesn’t mean it will work for anyone else.
I think the single purpose-idea is actually a concept from the world of branding. An idealised version of a reality that is more complex and actually much more interesting.
Fair point, Johnnie. Perhaps the “idea” is “not to have an idea”.
I agree, if you get to dogmatic about “purpose-idea” you just end up being another branding-schmuck with a middling consulting day rate.
What’s more interesting to me (and you too, I bet) is a discussion about what needs to be expressed, that is currently unexpressed.
I’m all ears…
Humans _love_ to simplify complex ideas.
Nike : shoes, sports
McDonald : cheap, fast hamburgers
Apple : stylish, sexy, desirable, cool products
Microsoft : monopoly, unsecure, coporate
I don’t think MS will be able to do much until they get rid of this tag they got (“the new IBM”)
Right now, Microsoft is clearly giving me the idea that they want to rule the fuckin world, and invade my life. No thank you. Leave me alone.
It’s just me, and I’m the only one who is thinking this, but this current exchange re: MS/Scoble has me thinking of Jon Stewart telling Tucker Carlson “I’m not your monkey.“
But seeing how Scoble is down with it, that’s cool. As you were.
Hugh, when you say “What’s more interesting to me (and you too, I bet) is a discussion about what needs to be expressed, that is currently unexpressed”, I say Yeah. Let’s talk about the elephant under the table. Though most of Microsofts are being talked about somewhere…
The irony of Microsoft’s breadth, depth and dominance is that despite having full control over a pantheon of products that smother the “8 areas where software is useful” the majority of their shit still doesn’t work well together. And I say this in part as a developer that LOVE’s the progress MS has made platform-wise.
Another observation to throw out there is that MS’s apparent internal decentralization is perhaps a necessary ‘evil’ in terms of fostering an appropriately high level of innovation that otherwise would not occur naturally.
Is Microsoft Headed for a Schism?
There is some ongoing discussion (Hugh, Robert Schoble) and pointed criticism of Microsoft’s current
Hugh, your comments about the iPod as a closed system made me sit up and yell “Amen!“
iTunes is cumbersome. The iPod isn’t stillborn, but if it isn’t opened soon, it will be dead within a year.
The drivers behind this are simple:
1. It’s harder to use than the competition. MP3 is a portable format that can be used in any way the music owner wants and it plays on hundreds of players. I can play MP3s on any MP3 player I want. I can only play the music I buy from iTunes on my iPod.
2. It’s expensive.
This is why I hate MS. I’ve been interested in a tablet pc and after reading Robert’s post, thought I’d check out what MS has to say. You go to their website and go to product info and if you type in “tablet pc” you get ONE product: MS Office One Note. Okay, sounds interesting. You go to “learn more” and then “system requirements” and some features require “Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition” or even “Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005″…but do a search on either of those and you get NOTHING!!!
I’ve wasted all this time looking through this stupid website, and I STILL don’t even know where to find a damn Tablet PC itself!!
Nathan, the iPod plays mp3s as well as the apple proprietary format.
There’s not a (legal) source of non-proprietary downloadable music out there. Apple has a download store *and* plays untagged mp3 files.
And, beyond that, it’s the usability. Usability, usability, usability. A monkey can pick up an iPod and use it without ever having seen a manual. I haven’t seen another mp3 player that does that yet — that doesn’t mean I won’t, but I haven’t to this point.
Carcasses and vultures
When not writing about the “new, happy, fun, grim meathook realities of marketing and advertising,” Hugh Macleod at Gaping Void continues to crank out a series of cartoons that are often illuminating, disturbing and just plain laugh out loud funny…
John Y. makes a huge point. It has nothing to do with “Apple making it into a closed system” — although I understand the logical jump, given their history.
Do you really think the itunes store would even exist today without Apple’s DRM? Apple didn’t want the DRM, the *record companies* did. That was their bargaining chip to gain entry into the online music market, and supply tons of legal songs for their hardware product. Obviously, having it reduces the usability of the product. If DRM was not a requirement for the iTunes store, Apple would drop it in 10 seconds flat. You can, in fact, do whatever you want with mp3’s on iPod (or any other player).
You cannot buy most mainstream tracks on mp3, you get a single choice. Apple’s AAC or WMA, both with DRM. I dont think you can legitimately argue that either company would (or even should) use the other’s
That said, I agree, it’s just a freakin’ mp3 player — but for some reason, either marketing or perhaps good design (I’m not entirely convinced, but then I dont own one), all of the other players are just not as popular. You’d think someone would’ve come up with a kick-ass alternative that doesn’t look like some shitty kids toy you pick up on 14th street by now.
Mark: sorry about our search engine being so difficult.
You can find a bit of information on the Tablet PC here:
http://www.microsoft.com/tabletpc/
Niche construction or improving the conversation
I’ve been so taken by the definition of the Long Tail as an
Say That To Our Face
There are a lot of things you can say about Microsoft, not very nice things, and Microsoft Geek Blogger Robert Scoble knows it. That’s why he’s posted an open call for the best way to insult Microsoft. That’s pretty brave…