Borland marketing message, from a consumer's standpoint.
Brion L. Webster
print edition of SD Times:
http://68.236.189.240/download/images/SDTimes124.pdf
On Page 11, there's an article discussing Microsoft Visual Studio's
pricing. Paragraphs four and five make me depressed. High end
folks may be complaining about how expensive MS's Team Source
editions are, but these paragraphs are "pricing for the rest of us".
MS' equivalent to Personal is not only $49, but it includes local
database support. Why in the world has Borland yanked database
support from Personal? That's the #1 corporate app requirement,
and if you just want to tinker on your own time, to see if you
could use this new tool or learn a new job, a lot of folks are
likely to start with little db utilities for their own use at work.
MS's Professional edition includes both a 32-bit compiler and a
64-bit compiler. I'm not going to complain about the difference in
prices, assuming MS has ways to subsidize the price of VS.NET, but
it's pretty clear - Borland doesn't have anything to offer those
who need to start working on 64-bit server apps. *If* they're
planning on doing something with the C++ integration in Delphi, so
at least the C++ folks will have a VCL capable 64-bit compiler,
they should be making some kind of noise about it.
Delphi, for me, has always been capable of anything VB could do,
and most things VS C++ could do. Sure, it was harder to do certain
things in Delphi than in VB, but the resulting solution was always
more robust, reliable, and extensible. That is becoming less and
less true to me. The core requirements are falling behind.
Frankly, while the ALM/SDO message is appealing, it's not
*essential* to getting applications out the door.
Let's move from MS's marketing and Borland's lack of response to
Borland's actual, direct marketing. Back in the bad old Inprise
days, I was concerned that none of the trade rags my management
looked at had any Borland advertisements at all. It has really
helped bring back the Borland name just having the advertisements
around. The managers may not be aware of anything that Borland
does, but they at least know the company still exists. It has been
a lot easier starting conversations.
I never understood the "portrait" campaign. The message didn't
make sense to me, but I hoped it did to managers. All in all, I'm
glad that advertisements are out there.
Now turn to page 4. This is the first time I've seen this ad. The
big red letters with a plain background was different, and I
actually took a second look. Then I realised it was Borland, so I
bothered to read the smaller type. There's an asterisk at the end,
so I glanced down at the bottom of the page.
Before I go further, I should mention that historically Borland has
used employees in their marketing materials. I'm about to say some
things that I hope don't depress an employee. I'm sorry, but this
is how I feel, and it's not meant as a personal insult.
Before I get to whatever the asterix indicates, there's a person in
a circle. A receding hairline, bags under the eyes, unhappy
looking person. If this is what using CaliberRM does to you, why
would I want to use it? Is this what Borland calls a "happier,
healthier you"? I'd hate to see what this person looked like
before! The emotional response I get to this picture totally turns
me off of the entire ad. I wish you could see the print version -
it's a lot more depressing.
Finally, I force myself to read the tiny print at the bottom of the
page. It is just plain too small. It doesn't even render properly
in Adobe reader for me at any resolution. Most of the senior level
folks wouldn't be able to read this, plenty of us have suboptimal
eyesight to start with.
"*Significant risk managing properties in CaliberRM may cause
feelings of invincibility. Do not engage in superhero activity
without supervision."
Um... OK, they're continuing the superhero theme they had in the
Delphi 2005 mailers. Would anyone reading this know there was a
recurring superhero theme? The picture certainly isn't a
superhero. At least it's not some idiotic cartoon. And what's
this, I shouldn't be doing this without supervision? So if I
implement CaliberRM, I need to hire another person? To manage me?
Or to oversee the CaliberRM system? Why in the world would I want
a tool that requires spending more on personnel? How does that cut
costs?
As a consumer, I don't know how I could be more turned off of
CaliberRM. Frankly, at this point, I don't have the slightest
inclination to investigate it at all. I don't care what it could
do for my company, how much it costs (assuming it costs at all). I
don't want to look like that guy.
How does this campaign make sense? Am I just way too sensitive to
the picture? I'm not a CaliberRM customer, so I assume I'm in the
target market. What am I missing? This ad gives me a
disinclination to investigate a Borland solution, and the MS
article reminds me that Borland isn't giving me the information I
do want. It's frankly quite frustrating.
-Brion
marc hoffman
> planning on doing something with the C++ integration in Delphi, so
> at least the C++ folks will have a VCL capable 64-bit compiler,
> they should be making some kind of noise about it.
the VCL is written in pascal, so i have a hard time seeing it utilized from
a potential Borland 64bit C++ compiler, unless Borland ports it completely
to C++ (or, of course, providces a 64bit Dephi compiler, as well).
> Before I get to whatever the asterix indicates, there's a person in
> a circle. A receding hairline, bags under the eyes, unhappy
> looking person. If this is what using CaliberRM does to you, why
> would I want to use it? Is this what Borland calls a "happier,
> healthier you"? I'd hate to see what this person looked like
> before!
Lol. that was my thought, exactly ;P
--
marc hoffman
Chief Architect, .NET
RemObjects Software
http://www.chromesville.com
Join the Revolution. May 1, 2005
JFN
> a circle. A receding hairline, bags under the eyes, unhappy
> looking person. If this is what using CaliberRM does to you, why
> would I want to use it? Is this what Borland calls a "happier,
> healthier you"? I'd hate to see what this person looked like
> before! The emotional response I get to this picture totally turns
> me off of the entire ad. I wish you could see the print version -
> it's a lot more depressing.
>
I'd read it the other way round: the guy face is *before* he uses
CaliberRM.
--
Jean-Francois Nifenecker, Bordeaux (EU)
K. Sallee
> How does this campaign make sense?
It doesn't. It is just frightening.
But, I can also pretty much tell you I know a few people who would think this sort of ad is clever and witty. Unfortunately, those individuals are not usually in the current position to purchase software, or drive.
Kevin
--
Software for resource managers and researchers
www.ecostats.com
Serge Dosyukov (Dragon Soft)
Little steps in long awaiting direction. Lets hope it is a campaign.
Looking at MS style and Borland style - ther is one and it is somewhat
consistent with web-site and other materials. Which is good as it creates
associations.
but let's not blow first impression!
So... I've read a post with great interest.
> I'm a little behind, I just finished reading the April 15, 2005
> print edition of SD Times:
>
> http://68.236.189.240/download/images/SDTimes124.pdf
>
> On Page 11, there's an article discussing Microsoft Visual Studio's
>
> Now turn to page 4. This is the first time I've seen this ad. The
> big red letters with a plain background was different, and I
> actually took a second look. Then I realised it was Borland, so I
> bothered to read the smaller type. There's an asterisk at the end,
> so I glanced down at the bottom of the page.
Very interesting observation... and I wouldn't hire the same guy for second
issue of the ad.
Ad is catching eye, I do not know, it might be because of ther personality
touch involved or just out of scope with other ads in this issue, if this
was an intend, then please disregard following comments.
I spent almost 2 years in advertising/publishing in a past as designer
(business materials) and it was always said that - remove ALL negative from
materials, make it bloom in customer hands, so (s)he is positive about your
product from first look.
It is always considered as big NO-NO in advertising to bring bad thoughts in
a picture, it distantiates a reader from the ad. Usually in business
advertising, one who present an ad wants to make you, reader, associate
yourself with one on the ad - you wouldn't want to be so owerworked looking
guy like it is in this ad.
Yes, it could be a case that a guy in a picture is the one who did not use
CaliberRM ("Before" photo), but then where is "After" photo? Yes, it is a
cleshe, but it is how it usually work. Ad has to catch eye first, not make
you turn away, skip a page as fast as you can...
Just put in line page 2 (MS), page 4 (Borland), page 16 (InstallAnywhere),
page 28 (jnetDirect)
similar and different styles, different aproaches of presentation, but 3 out
of 4 are positive in a presentation of the idea.
Thinking about Borland Ad - a simple second happy face on the right and
shifted to the left current photo will do.
Roland Beenhakker
You can look at it the other way around:
Everybody is now talking about the advertisement, so from that point of
view it makes sense.
:-)
--
My Delphi blog: http://beensoft.blogspot.com
--
--- posted by geoForum on http://delphi.newswhat.com