Consumer insight - Why (he) won't buy an iPad
The model of interaction with the iPad is to be a "consumer," what William Gibson memorably described as "something the size of a baby hippo, the color of a week-old boiled potato, that lives by itself, in the dark, in a double-wide on the outskirts of Topeka. It's covered with eyes and it sweats constantly. The sweat runs into those eyes and makes them sting. It has no mouth... no genitals, and can only express its mute extremes of murderous rage and infantile desire by changing the channels on a universal remote.
I'm loving this quote by William Gibson on the dystopian future of our audience. Just today i was happy-clicking to find out more about the changing role of the consumer, and how at our office we think that the time of force-feeding advertising is coming (thankfully) to an end.
Maybe not as quickly as we hope. Inertia is a terrible monster.
But the picture Gibson paints serves to instill a sense or urgency and change to those who care. Advertising should not be based on force-feeding listeners. Not only should we be opposed to it, but if we care enough, we should be taking the lead and guiding the advertising industry to an interactive, exciting, world-improving role
At the core, advertising isn't evil. Out of three hundred apple producers, (or car makers) - who will you buy from? Advertising helps shape your opinion and stand out from the clutter
But the manner in which advertising is conducted can be evil. When it lies to the consumer, mistreats them and relegates them to the role of a mute week-old boiled potato, two things can happen: your consumers give up to the continuous bombardment of rotten advertising and finally turn into baby hippos. Or they grow resentful and stage a revolution.
The alternative?
Make it fun. Make it true. Make it engaging, intelligent, interactive. Invite the user to take part in your journey. Treat him like family. Get him out of the house and into the sun, the flowers, and his peers.
Do for advertising what the Wii is doing for videogames.
Let's prove Gibson wrong.
