Hype: An Entrepreneurs Most Powerful Weapon
Anyone reading this knows what it’s like to get excited about a pending release. Whether it be a new Dan Brown novel to the mythical Apple Tablet, we all love the speculation. Hype is a great way to describe this type of obsession.
The companies behind these products know we are suckers for teasers, specs, promos, anything at all that can give our thirst just a momentary reprieve. At the same time, this last year especially, we’ve noticed the tactic shifting substantially through the age of the Internet.
What used to be a controlled environment has now become a free-for-all frenzy of information being traded and “leaked” online. I can’t tell you how many Crunchgear blog posts I’ve read that dealt with “leaked” specs of various Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, or Sony products. I even remember knowing about the PS3 Slim almost five months in advance of its release. The companies allegedly go to an intense length to hide these rumors with cease and desist letters, threats of legal action, or even just plain denial. We all know though that at the same time they LET a lot of it happen.
Think about it, it’s almost a way to allow them to control the market without actually violating FTC or SEC rules. I remember recently reading a few reports that Apple was being investigated by the SEC on several counts of insider trading (thanks to Macrumors) which noted that the stocks that were being traded almost seemed like the people had direct knowledge of the inner workings of the company- as if employed there themselves. This is laughable because in all honesty, with all the leaked specs from Chinese manufacturers and distributors and “insider” sources, anyone with a good sense of the calendar-shopping year could have done the same thing. Everyone knows if the next keynote address actually delivers then the stock will skyrocket.
What I think is so fascinating is that while this almost seems like a dirty trick to play on the minds of consumers, I can’t help applaud these companies. It’s Entrepreneurship 101; find an opportunity and exploit the heck out of it to the point that people will be clamoring for your new and innovative product/service.
The hype is 90% of the battle because if done successfully, the product will deliver as expected (and hopefully surpass expectations). If I have to choose my next mp3 player, computer, or touch screen device, I couldn’t care less about who makes it, it’s all about what they can offer and how excited I get for it. I used to be an advent user of Windows software until Vista came out, but after Windows 7 and the announcement of the Courier tablet/journal, I’ve actually considered purchasing one of these new products.
Point being- the leaked specs of the Courier blew my mind away. Seriously- check it out, it’s almost scary what this thing might do and how it will change the way classes and the workplace function. The fact of the matter is that in this new age, every year is a milestone in achievement from the one prior. No longer are we stuck on a plateau. It’s all up hill to the point that the now black and white E-reader market, for instance, will turn into a full on media device with an vibrant color interface and new and improved month long battery life by 2012. You never know, but the hype will keep us coming back.
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About the Blogger: Landon David Chase is a Student at Syracuse University.
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