End-user Notes 8 advertising on cnn.com today
September 18 2007
I've just discovered that I won't have live Internet access during the keynote of today's Lotus Collaboration Summit. So, I'm drafting wifi now, before our guests arrive, to give some updates.
There are a half-dozen new announcements this morning, with Symphony already out and in the press. I'll update the others post-keynote.
One interesting thing I just learned is that today, all of the advertising on cnn.com (at least for the US edition) is advertising for Lotus Notes 8.
Remember that this advertising is specifically targeted at end-users. It's a very different approach -- no blue block, no "special" message, nothing about taking back control. The click-through directs you to a "unify and simplify" section of the IBM website.
I'll write more in a few hours...now, on with the show...
Post a Comment
- 2
Chris Whisonant http://cwhisonant.blogspot.com | 9/18/2007 10:00:32 AM
I knew adblock plus would come in handy to get rid of pesky ads... :)
Also I'm curious as to why you get "Notes 8" when you mix a rhinoceros and an ostrich?? Normally an ostrich has its head in the sand, but in the IBM ad it now has a rhino's head. Is this symbolic that IBM is taking its proverbial head out of the sand now in the face of its competition? Nice...
- 3
Keith Brooks http://lotustech.blogspot.com | 9/18/2007 12:09:46 PM
I tried the rabbit and got a line from an obvious Rush fan talks about the hare and then presto! no more waiting.
For those who like to read into things.
But 100% we love the ads and its great to see them, I got emails from my LUG and others impressed to even see an ad!
- 4
Ben Skelton http://benskelton.blogs.com | 9/18/2007 2:15:35 PM
It is too bad the demo looks like it was created by an eight year old in PowerPoint... Cheezy transitions, lame "business people" stock imagery, and horrible copy like "Lotus Notes 8 still has the features everyone has come to know and love..." Blah...
If you asked most Notes end-users what aspects of the program they "know and love" they would tell you to take a hike. IBM made a huge investment in a new user interface that "doesn't suck anymore" why not actually say something of the sort and actually show it off?
- 5
Daniel Schiavone http://www.TrustedUnlimited.com | 9/18/2007 2:45:32 PM
Why so cryptic. What's my pain. How are you going to help me.
- 6
Tim Haugen | 9/18/2007 3:01:56 PM
Yeah!! - it's the Viagra ad.... get the end users to come to us (the physicians?) asking for Notes instead of asking for something else.... Now if you can just get the FDA to claim that using Notes 8 may result in "side effects" lasting up to 4 hours....
- 7
Keith Brooks http://lotustech.blogspot.com | 9/18/2007 4:22:23 PM
Tim the "Notes Sucks" people claim it already lasts for hours, down hours.
I thought the ad was cute and but still way over the head of the populace and implies you knew somethng about notes which in truth many people do not.
Simple messages equal greater awareness.
The Ostrich message implies Notes never had a calendar view until now for your invitations.
And the Donkey text compares R8 to a Donkey?
Right approach, wrong text.
R8 is like a lion in the jungle, hear it/watch it roar with power as the true king of the corporate jungle returns to take its throne.
- 8
Volker Weber http://vowe.net | 9/18/2007 4:27:52 PM
Lions do not live in the jungle, but rather inhabit savanna and grassland. If R8 is like a lion in the jungle, it is very much misplaced. :-)
- 9
Keith Brooks http://lotustech.blogspot.com | 9/18/2007 6:34:38 PM
Volker, as always you are wiser than I.
Perhaps, in my view, the Lion represents a leader in places that need leadership and is not scared to cross boundaries or territories to accomplish its goals.
I'd rather have a lion as my leader than an Ostrich, Hare, Duck or Donkey.
What did they think people liked Eddie Murphy in Shrek, cute donkey right?
- 10
Volker Weber http://vowe.net | 9/18/2007 7:42:30 PM
Keith, you are watching too many Disney movies. :-)
The lion is a vulnerable species in Africa and a critically endangered species in India. Male lions are too lazy to do much else than lie around and eat when they are hungry. They actually prefer having the female lions go hunting. You would be hard pressed to see a lion "leading".
If you would like to envision a strong animal you'd be much better off with an Orca.
- 11
Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 9/19/2007 7:56:32 AM
So here's a follow-up question: did the ads on CNN have any impact yesterday as far as end-users -- good or bad?
- 12
Keith Brooks http://lotustech.blogspot.com | 9/19/2007 8:25:53 AM
No idea if it produced business, your ad team would know based on web metrics.
But I received a dozen calls and emails from various people that saw it on CNN.
Many were way impresssed and even ecstatic to see any advertising aimed at consumers.
Sorry to have the Zoological discussion here, but am I the only one that thought leader animals would be a better way to go with the barnyard advertising?
Chickens don't scheme! would have eveen been good if Aardman would let you use it.
- 13
Charles Robinson http://cubert-codepoet.blogspot.com | 9/19/2007 8:42:30 AM
I don't watch much TV other than the Food Network so I didn't see them. No one has said anything about them to me yet, including people I know at CNN.
@10 - Disney didn't invent very much other than Mortimer Mouse. Lions have been associated with bravery, leadership and royalty for centuries. It's a common symbol even if it's not true to nature.
- 14
Ed Brill http://www.edbrill.com | 9/19/2007 1:13:08 PM
@13 Charles, this was on cnn.com, not CNN on television :-)
- 15
Charles Robinson http://cubert-codepoet.blogspot.com | 9/19/2007 3:58:46 PM
Oops... mea magna culpa. Looking back you clearly said "cnn.com". :)
- 16
Mika Heinonen http://www.siipi.com/mika | 9/19/2007 5:24:57 PM
Again there's a severe quality lack from IBM. I can't select the menu options after I started the demo. The menus just scroll down, and scroll up again before I can click on the sub menu options. Do you guys even have a clue how much quality means to end-users? It's not a thing you can just fix, once the lack has happened your credibility has already went down the slope more than you'd expect.
- 17
Bll McCuistion | 9/26/2007 8:33:26 PM
Reminds me of a mix of Las Vegas Slot Machines and children's GerAnimals (match the tags to dress right).
How about retro-back to some of the pre-IBM Lotus ads?
Wow, IBM targeting end users and consumers with advertising?
Mighty chilly in Hell today...