Psychotic Software Companies
Sometimes I think the only explanation for the bone-headed marketing done by some companies is that the marketers are clinically insane. How else could they possibly think what they’re doing makes sense? Example: Real Networks. John Whiteside of Opinionated Marketers recently described his woeful experience in Real Bad News.
Here’s a snippet - a great analogy that Real Networks (and every other downloadable software company) should read:
Imagine if you went to Best Buy and bought a DVD player, and instead of being asked if you wanted the extended service plan and finding a Netflix coupon in the box, someone was out in the parking lot putting some extra products in your trunk, there was a Netflix coupon plastered across your windshield so you couldn’t go home till you’d done something with it, and when you turned on the car radio you heard a sales pitch for the service plan. Then when you got home, the living room was rearranged and the DVD player now controlled your iPod and your coffee maker.
Yep, that pretty much sums it up.
And, in my experience, Real Networks also really, really resists being uninstalled. You practically have to break it out of the hard drive with a hammer.
Tags: marketing, marketing troubleshooting, Real Networks, web marketing
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November 29th, 2006 at 9:30 am
Classic bad product backed by evil marketing.
It does bring into question whether the dark side of marketing works, because these folks would have disappearred long ago if excellence, relevance and engagement were required for marketing success.
November 29th, 2006 at 9:38 am
Hmmm. I don’t know that the “dark side” works or if it’s more a case of inertia in a general corporate culture designed for “follow the herd” mediocrity.
Example: Huge amounts of money continue to be spent on things like direct mail - even when a company’s own data shows it ain’t workin’ (been there, been forced to do that.)
November 29th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
Personally, I think they get away with it because there are just too many people who are too intimidated by the technology to take advantage of the fact that they have options. (I dont understand why ANYBODY uses Outlook!) They use whatever Microsoft tells them to use because it comes with the operating system and they don’t know enough to turn that off and go use something else.
But it ticks me off when software tries to take over my computer. In fact, I was ranting about this very thing back in August. It feels to me like the geeks just think of the rest of us as morons that they can do anything they like with. Either that or they’re just too lazy to go cross-operating system, cross-browser friendly.
And you’re right … making the customer feel like you think they’re a moron is not smart marketing!
Don’t get me started … ! Grrrrrrr …
November 29th, 2006 at 9:17 pm
I love products like this. It’s kind of like having a houseguest stay with you, drink all your milk, reprogram your phone’s speed dial, change the locks on your house and then leave their car broken down in your driveway.
Do they honestly expect people to write them notes of gushing praise:
Dear Real,
I don’t know what came over me. In a fit I can only categorize as a blind stupor, I idiotically attempted to uninstall your software. Praise be the engineers at Real who stepped in and talked me down from what certainly would have been a terrible decision. It was a horrible lack of judgement on my part and I can assure you that I’ll tell ALL my friends about your benevolence to me.
Your humble servant, er, customer,
me
November 30th, 2006 at 8:15 am
Yep. Other companies are just as bad. I never did manage to get rid of several “free” apps a friend downloaded onto my old notebook. The ghost in the machine, indeed - more like a poltergist.
December 3rd, 2006 at 8:16 pm
Well,
I was an employee and Senior Program Manager for 4 years at the company and I can tell you that all of their marketing efforts are precalculated and planned. They are well aware of complaints and digruntles as described here, but they don’t care. It is about Wall Street and the bottom line and their ability to hide behind the digital customer service curtain. They view not being “Best Buy” as an advantage.
I have to admit that it wasn’t always that way. It really started happening after an influx of MBAs trying to get a pat on the back. There are a hand full of employees there that are fighting for the customer.
It ended up being too much for me too handle and I am a fan of Apple products and services now.