by Avik Chattopadhyay at 8:36 am 12 February 2010
Filed under: Art, Branding, Luxury
Why is there all this fuss about the new Apple iPad?
It isn’t the first of its kind in the world. Microsoft, Panasonic, HP, Fujitsu and a few others have all done it before. Fujitsu even has a hand held device also called the iPAD!
Apple’s iPad doesn’t have earth-shattering features. It may not be particularly user friendly and the after-sales service may leave a lot to be desired.
So what is all the noise about?
It is the ‘thought’ behind everything Apple does. Every Apple creation has been more than just a device. It’s about benefits as well as features. It’s about the strength of human alignment directly proportional to the length of ownership and experience.
Another simpler way of putting it is that every Apple creation is about the Apple brand. The power within the Apple brand lies in its intuitive ability to gradually build a unique bond with its owner. Not only do you not mind the electronic intrusion into your life you positively adore it. This is branding in its most supreme form.
Interestingly every Apple experience has been designed around the core of Zen Buddhist theology. Steve Jobs is a Zen Buddhist since 1975. He practises it not only in his own life but also in his creations.
These are the definitive, deliberate manifestations which are seen in the Apple brand. They show how the greatest brands can be a powerful manifestation of the human condition.
by Noelle Dyer at 4:28 pm 6 May 2009
Filed under: Luxury
Tags: Branding, Wine
Wine, for all intents and purposes, has always existed – archaeological evidence suggests that people have been producing wine since as early as 6000BC. But never before, has wine been so diverse in terms of origins, quality and price.
In fact this is a general trend affecting all foods: everyday, food products are sold both as pure commodities and as luxury products. Even the most basic staples such as salt or butter can be found and bought in premium versions under descriptions such as Himalayan crystal salt or beurre de baratte. However, if there is one food product that exemplifies this phenomenon better than any others, it is wine. To say that there is a world between everyday table wines and the most prestigious bottles is an understatement. While you can easily find cheap table wines for a few dollars, in 1985 Christie’s managed to sell a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite for $160,000.
The very top end of the market is small; so small, in fact, that demand outweighs supply, and wine producers don’t have to work very hard to shift their production. But for the vast majority of wine producers, the challenge is somewhat different: how can they build a stronger emotional connection with consumers and ultimately trade up on the ladder? Read more…
There is a huge battle brewing in the technology industry right now. Netbooks and Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) are finally becoming the capable machines that science fiction always told us they would. Laptop grade processors are finally small and efficient enough to fit in devices like iPhones. At the same time, processor lines that have been traditionally designed for mobile phones are now able to run a full web browser and laptop computer experience. We are at a crossroads.
This intersection between the iPhone and the Eee PC will be the computing platform for the next five years, dominating market growth in the PC sector. But who will own this market?
All of the handheld/smartphone makers as well as PC vendors all have a shot. It is the Wild West right now, with everyone staking a claim. No one is sure which operating system, hardware, or brands will prevail. One thing is certain however, there soon will be a blitz of advertising aimed at consumers which will confuse and alienate them.
That is why it is important for the players involved to establish their brand now. One doesn’t have to look but a few years back to see how this story will play out for all of the processor companies.
AMD, in the very late 90’s, was able to introduce a 64-bit chip that blew Intel’s best offering away (Intel invested in another technology which wasn’t accepted by the market at that time). They had a lead on Intel chips for the next few years but weren’t able to capitalize. Read more…
'Black swans are always emerging from everywhere.'
‘It’s a sobering time for number crunchers. From quantitative risk analysis to credit ratings, many financial statistics have revealed more artistic license than resemblance to reality,’ says an editorial in the Financial Times of 30 January 2009. And you can add brand valuation to that list, too. All this number crunching whether it’s risk analysis, GDP projections or brand valuation is part of an attempt to measure areas of activity which are for the most part inherently unquantifiable. The assumption is that people and the organisations they manage, act only out of rational calculation; it’s a natural extension of the economic theories of the Chicago School. These figures are a major part of denial of risk.
At another level they are like a comfort blanket for a child, which makes it feel safe, secure and stable. But all of us know deep down that life isn’t like that. Brand valuation and the other statistical analyses with which it is associated are supposed to be an aid to predicting the future, when as has recently been made clear yet again, the future stubbornly refuses to be predicted. All you can really predict about the future is you don’t know what will happen. Black swans are always emerging from everywhere. Read more…
