Whither the creative mind and the grand gesture?
Technology companies seem to have rid themselves of all true creativity during the debacle that's commonly known as the dot-bomb era.
Now that the freefall has stopped, with the Nasdaq showing incipient signs of recovery, one seeks to find creativity in the Valley. Yet all I've seen is one company's, HP's, efforts to remake itself into a consumer-centric company, apparently epitomized by glamorizing rich kids with poor guitar-playing skills.
I never include Apple in my general observations of technology marketing, because Steve and his Cuptertino minions have always differentiated themselves from the rest of the Valley by being truly kick-butt marketers. Apple has always led the market with its technology but never tried to geek its way to success, but rather markets its products with as much cool factor as can be achieved by humans. Whether developing the first user-friendly personal computer, successfully invoking 1984, or getting to us to like the iPod because it knows how to dance, Apple is the exception that proves the rule. (All is forgiven for the Apple III, the Lisa, and the Newton.)
The rest of this industry is right now producing...what? Single-minded, leads-driven, automated marketing models that spark no fires, fire no imaginations, imagine no breakthroughs.
I'm not looking for companies to create the spoiled-brat, conspicuous cigar-smoking rooftop parties of old, but a return of at least a scintalla of the Friday beer-bust culture would be a welcome site. Marketing people today seem to be on automatic pilot, valuing process and tight HR management above all else.
I've been developing grand marketing vehicles for companies for more than a decade, and participated in many of the grand moments of the industry prior to that, but have never seen an age as devoid of character, humor, and creativity as today.
It seems that all the good folks have been fired, and the drones are running the asylum. Time to put the inmates back in charge.
9:25:52 PM 
|
