Don't try too hard
Sometimes, when marketers try too hard, it can backfire.
Here's an example: I was in Barnes and Noble yesterday, and a very nice salesman wanted me to buy one of the Barnes and Noble e-Readers (the black and white screened "Nook," which competes with the iPad and the Kindle for business).
When I asked him about the quality of the black and white screen, he responded by saying, "Think of the world according to Ansel Adams." Now, I love Ansel Adams, and I did respect the enthusiasm of this sales rep. But for better or worse, I think we live in a world that likes the bright colors of Andy Warhol more than the black and white of Ansel Adams, and I don't believe for a second that Barnes and Noble will be able to get people to think of a black and white screen as a positive. Rather than telling me to channel the artistic sensibility of Ansel Adams, I think that Barnes and Noble should focus on the facts, and point out that its e-Reader and the Kindle are at least $300 less than the iPad, which is the only color alternative, and if all I care about is reading books, the color of the font will probably be a shade of gray on the iPad anyway.
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Will Marlow is an online marketing and fundraising consultant. He co-founded AlumniFidelity, which provides a Web 2.0 fundraising platform to colleges, nonprofits and secondary schools. He’s working with clients such as UVA, the College of William & Mary, the University of Oklahoma, and Bowling Green State University and he loves nothing better than a thorny marketing challenge. He would love to help you market your business on the Internet, boost the fundraising numbers for your school or nonprofit, or sellout your next big event. Email him at will@alumnifidelity.com.
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