Last night I came across a back-to-college commercial for Gateway computer. Nothing any of us haven't already seen already: ultra low cost computer systems complete with a free printer, after a fifty dollar rebate. Except this time I caught a slight difference in the advertising message:
I can't be sure because I rarely read Ad Week anymore, much to the disappointment to my college mentor I'm sure, but I'm almost positive that's the first time a computer company has used blogging as an activity that their products are perfect for. Amazing how in less than five years blogging has replaced gaming, video editing, and homework as the criteria of choice for purchasing a computer. Interesting.
Perhaps Six Apart should get in there and co-brand a Typepad/Gateway laptop, complete with a Lance Armstrong knock-off rubber wristband, baby-blue and stamped: TYPESTRONG.
And if Gateway is going to talk the talk then lets see them walk the walk. I believe Apple is the only computer company to actually use blogs (albeit poorly executed) to help promote their brand.
Mr. Inouye if you would like to see how it's done, how Gateway could and should be using blogs to help sell computers to students, families and businesses, I'd be more than happy to show you how it's done — I'm just ten minutes away.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
Interesting. I hadn't seen the ad yet. I wonder if other computer manufacturers will follow suit like lemmings and start marketing their computers toward bloggers.
Charting "blogging" on the trend curve trajectory at about 5 notches before full-speed descent (followed shortly thereafter by burning up during re-entry).
I saw that. The girl slips it in during her speel. I thought "Did she say blogging?"
TYPESTRONG - eeeexcellent :)
Hold on, is this the first time that an Airbag post title has been more than one word?
Charting "blogging" on the trend curve trajectory at about 5 notches before full-speed descent.
I used to think the same but I've started to realize that blogs aren't close to 'burninging up" any time soon. Rather they will become just another application/activity like email and instant messaging. As long as people have something to say, blogs will be around.
"...perfect for blogging or sending email..."
They're right, because that's pretty much all that Gateways are good for.
the ad seems pretty stupid to me...targeting bloggers. It's like making a pen and promote it as a wanderful thing to draw circles with.
It amazes me that there are now over 14.1 million blogs and that there are 12,000 new ones every day. Now, local news stations have blogs, Newsweek has a blog watch, and so on and so on.
Pretty cool.
Not saying they're going away, but the burning up part is the migration of the cool factor to greener pastures. Blogs were cool. Blogs were punk. Blogs were anti-establishment. Blogs will soon be completely mainstreamed, commercialized, co-opted, de-fanged. Something more interesting will come along. Once something has been featured in a Gateway ad it's no longer cool to those who care about cool, from the geek universe to the high schooler. It will take a while, but inch by inch more and more of those 14.1 million who thought they were doing something besides wasting their time will start to give up faced with the effort that creating a good blog requires. They'll be gradually replaced by corporate blogs and blogs from local news stations all sanctioned by the PR department and the marketing agency. The vibrant independent blogger will grow older and tired, and move on to other things, more rewarding financially and personally. I say bring it on, I'm ready for the next. This medium needs a kick in the pants.
Coincidentally noticing your "bloggers wanted" link in the Longboard. If the best thing about blogs are their unfiltered honesty don't you see blogging for corporate dollars (i.e., "let's push our corporate communication via a blog instead of boring old school press releases") as the *worst* possible thread to blog survival as we know it? Isn't that Longboard link about blog jobs that are more being a new school PR flunky than a indie voice?
What's a blog?
That's actually perhaps the pertinent question Andy — is it anything made with Wordpress, MovableType or Blogger as an engine, no matter how corporate or voiceless the authors?
I had an IBM PS/2 that would've been perfect for blogging too. I hate how they advertise things that nearly every computer created in the late 80's to the present can achieve.
I am going WAY off on topic but I heard the term Blogging last night on Six Feet Under.
A girl and guy were ranting at each other about republicans and democrats and she throughout out some phrase like,
"What are you, some conservative [something] blogger [something]
First I was shocked that she said blogger. Then I was pissed that she was associating bloggers with only being conservative.
Anyways, now we just need Dell to hop on the "mention" blog train :)
What computer isn't good for blogging? Someone should tell Gateway the requirements for blogging: internet connection + keyboard. Hopefully Gateway can provide both (and maybe a rebate while there at it).
Donnie: Gawd no, no rebates. No mail in rebates. Please. I hate those things. I can't look at computer store ads anymore -- it's like, "4ghz Dell only $599!" After $400 mail-in-rebate with purchase of $299 or more printer $100 in-store rebate when purchasing at least 40 bags of Skittles at the impulse buy shelf by the checkout register, subject to approval, offer expires yesterdya.
grumble.
Marketing to bloggers is intersting. I think the best way to blog on a college campus is to wonder around and use different computer labs, the true mobile blog (it's free). I mix it up and blog from two different universities, U-dub (Washington) and Western (WWU) (I have to visit the girlfriend on the weekends).
"Perhaps Six Apart should get in there and co-brand a Typepad/Gateway laptop, complete with a Lance Armstrong knock-off rubber wristband, baby-blue and stamped: TYPESTRONG."
Great. Now I'm doomed.
Ah come on Anil, you know TYPESTRONG would be huge, and I want 10%. *cough*
Bryan, I was thinking the same thing reading this post but you darned Republican blogger, you beat me to it!
BTW, Microsoft uses Blogs to both promote their brand, and also to announce additions/fixes to their products. Blogging is everywhere. However, it is ridiculous for any company to state that their pc is "perfect" for blogging. To blog, all you need is a connection to the internet and a browser. All modern computers have those, so it is a completely ridiculous and useless statement