Big Mac Attack. (The Other Kind)
For those of you not in the know, I love my shiny electronics. From iPods to the BMW 3 series, if it's wrapped in a sculted metal frame and requires power to run it I've probably drooled over it once or twice. And once I'm convinced your product is genius I'm a longtime brand evangelist.
Although today I write this post from a gleaming Apple computer, I wasn't always a fan of the Mac. As a designer I'd used them for years until I finally found myself in an all PC studio. Not a Mac in sight - and I didn't even miss mine that much. Several years later and we've got our own business using exclusively Macs. So how did I get from that moment in 2002 to being the die-hard Mac fan I am today? Two words: excellent products.
The old adage is in fact true: once you go Mac, you never go back. If anyone has usability down pat - it's Apple. This bad boy almost does my work for me it makes it so easy. Last year we finally converted to an all Apple environment. And life couldn't be more grand. My system doesn't crash. I can open any file from any platform (yes. it's true.). I can check cross-browser functionality without ever firing up a PC. And because the thing is so aesthetically pleasing I actually look forward to using it every day.
But this post isn't really about Apple. Its about brands and how our relationships with them change over time. My conversion wasn't easy, but I'm so very grateful I took the leap. When you find a good product its only natural to share that goodness with others. Some of us become brand evangelists - sharing our love of a brand with all who will listen (or are too slow to run away). I'm one of those people, and when I love your brand everyone within earshot (eyeshot?) will know. It's the best form of advertising, but the toughest to obtain.
Think about the restaurants you frequent, stores you prefer or pants you dutifully buy. Has your relationship with the brand itself evolved over time? How did the company win you over? Have you always been a fan? Did someone recommend it to you? You might be surprised to discover your answer. And you find a product you can rely on, like my beloved Mac, don't be shy about telling a friend. You just might turn them on to something great.
Although today I write this post from a gleaming Apple computer, I wasn't always a fan of the Mac. As a designer I'd used them for years until I finally found myself in an all PC studio. Not a Mac in sight - and I didn't even miss mine that much. Several years later and we've got our own business using exclusively Macs. So how did I get from that moment in 2002 to being the die-hard Mac fan I am today? Two words: excellent products.
The old adage is in fact true: once you go Mac, you never go back. If anyone has usability down pat - it's Apple. This bad boy almost does my work for me it makes it so easy. Last year we finally converted to an all Apple environment. And life couldn't be more grand. My system doesn't crash. I can open any file from any platform (yes. it's true.). I can check cross-browser functionality without ever firing up a PC. And because the thing is so aesthetically pleasing I actually look forward to using it every day.
But this post isn't really about Apple. Its about brands and how our relationships with them change over time. My conversion wasn't easy, but I'm so very grateful I took the leap. When you find a good product its only natural to share that goodness with others. Some of us become brand evangelists - sharing our love of a brand with all who will listen (or are too slow to run away). I'm one of those people, and when I love your brand everyone within earshot (eyeshot?) will know. It's the best form of advertising, but the toughest to obtain.
Think about the restaurants you frequent, stores you prefer or pants you dutifully buy. Has your relationship with the brand itself evolved over time? How did the company win you over? Have you always been a fan? Did someone recommend it to you? You might be surprised to discover your answer. And you find a product you can rely on, like my beloved Mac, don't be shy about telling a friend. You just might turn them on to something great.
posted by franki durbin @ 2:36 PM PERMALINK
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