ESCAPE VELOCITY

1 - Years ago there was a tv advert for notes that I thought worked well. I haven't gone through your list to see if it is there but basically the scene was: i.t. guy installs notes on the salesman's pc saying how it will save him from having to travel so much and it'll be nice to see him around the office more. salesman looks at all his souvenirs and appears disappointed.

Despite the slightly negative aspect to it (for the salesman anyway) I thought it got the point across pretty well.

I haven't seen anything like that for a long time.

2 - so a good read on what the message is .. you hit the nail on the head. But who are those ad's targeting? The young end-users they are insulting, or the C Level Execs who have to deal with those issues. While I totally agree on the subtext, I think IBM believes that is the whole point. I mean, they ran ads for the Masters. Golf's TV audience is typically not young or entry level folks. I think the last marketing data I saw for golf on TV was it attracted more 'executives' than any other sport. So at least they aren't running these ads with the XGames

3 - @2 - Well that's exactly my point. IBM is targeting ads at Execs saying "see, your people are stupid." How do you think that a) affects those execs dealing with those people; and b) causes those people to feel about IBM?

Let's imagine you're a kid. And there's a teacher that keeps telling your parents that you're a troublemaker and a failure. And you find your parents agree. Is that going to strengthen your relationship with your parents? Is that going to make you more successful with that teacher? Or is that going to seem condescending and alienate you from anything that teacher has to offer?

I think it's a pretty basic human observation that to when person A insults person B in front of person C, that person B isn't going to think very highly of A, no matter what C thinks.

Now you could argue that the conversation between IBM and the execs is basically happening in secret, because those knowledge workers don't watch The Masters. But I don't think that's really true, and even if it is, that doesn't change the fact that IBM is encouraging the force-feeding mentality instead of embracing the very people who could be their strongest advocates. And they're doing this out of pure arrogance.

4 - Current version:

Boss: <walks into really nice glass office with window view, what company is this!> What are you doing?
Worker: Social networking.
Boss: Social networking?
Worker: Everyone is doing it. I have 826 friends.
Boss: That is a lot of friends.
Worker: I can find anyone.
Boss: Ok. I need to put together a team of international finance experts who know merger arbitrage, have 10+ years experience, speak Cantonese, and can hit the ground running Monday.
Worker: I don't have any friends like that.
Boss: <walks away, problem not solved>

Here is what I'd like to see:

Boss: Hi Tom, I just got an urgent instant message from a client. Can you help me get a project up and running?
Tom: Sure, what do you need to get started?
Boss: I need to put together a team of international finance experts who know merger arbitrage, have 10+ years experience, speak Cantonese, and can hit the ground running Monday.
Tom: Ok, let me find the appropriate subject matter experts for you.
Boss: How do you do that?
Tom: I just search inside our employee directory profiles and across all our shared content.
Boss: You can do that?
Tom: Yeah, it's simple now that were using Lotus Connections.
Boss: Thanks! <starts walking away, pauses and turns back> Tom come by my office Monday to talk about that new Director position we have open. <Tom smiles>

5 - @4 - EXACTLY. How hard would it have been to do the exact same commercial, but instead "I don't have any friends like that," the response was "okay... *click* *click* *click*.... got 'em?"

The exact same commercial, but with a positive outcome. That would have been a whole different experience for the audience.

If you dig around, there was an ad like that back in 2000. Young guy says to old boss, "I want to show you something cool," and the old guy goes on this rant about how "cool" is what makes his daughter dye her hair green. So the young guy says "well, we can use this new purchase system to save millions of dollars," and the old guy says ".... cool!"

6 - There is a bit of irony in Innovation Man 2 as well:

Innovation man: WHY ARE YOU FIRED UP?!
Young guy: I don't have any idea.

7 - It's funny how many IBM ads I've seen involve "To actually SEE something, visit www.ibm.com/blah."

Doesn't anybody think there's something wrong with that?

Except blade servers. I've seen blade servers in commercials. Good job to that crew.

8 - This kind of builds on your "Lotus marketing does not suck.." post last month. I'd love to see smart, funny commercials about people doing cool stuff with Lotus Notes. Commercials about how Notes helps a guy (and therefore his boss) save the day, just like your example above. But the targeting of the Masters crowd is another example of how IBM marketing is focused more on the executive than on the those really working day to day with the tools. I know the executive may make the purchasing decision, but the regular employees can collectively have strong input into what's even on the executive's radar. I'm just imagining trying to even explain what Notes, Connections, or Quickr even is to my friends and family who haven't worked with it before. I wish IBM's marketing told people what Notes was and how they can use it to make their work life easier.

9 - @8 - IBM Lotus Connections in Plain English: { Link } . And yes, this information should be on the Lotus Connections website.