Not so sure on this one. Yes, I'm sick to death of reading headlines about the iPhone...
...but if the hype is generated simply because a lot of people are talking/excited about a similar product, then what on earth are you going to do to stop it. Falsely generated hype is annoying, especially when the product is crap, but sometimes it's hard to tell if the hype is genuine or not, or even if the product is any good or not!
Hype can be bad, or good. The trick lies in setting the customer's expectation. Set it to high, and you've screwed yourself. Otherwise it will work to your benefit as it helps build anticipation and brand awareness.
I think hype is a mixed blessing for companies. People that get inundated with hype will probably get sick of it all. However, the bigger the hype, the more likely that it will reach people that haven't yet heard the message.
Those people that haven't yet heard the message become the next batch of potential customers. They then help perpetuate the wave of hype to their friends and family.
In the end this means more business for companies. However, a product has to live up to the hype or the backlash could be devastating.
Is hype bad? No. Like someone mentioned, people talking about something is hype. Invariably, they're advertising something by spreading the word.
At the same time, it is completely possible to not read blog entries about something you already know about. If anyone makes a good point about that, it's this guy who can go through 200 RSS feeds in about 20 minutes.
6 Comments
Comments
Ollie
Written Jul. 1, 2007 / Report /
Not so sure on this one. Yes, I'm sick to death of reading headlines about the iPhone...
...but if the hype is generated simply because a lot of people are talking/excited about a similar product, then what on earth are you going to do to stop it. Falsely generated hype is annoying, especially when the product is crap, but sometimes it's hard to tell if the hype is genuine or not, or even if the product is any good or not!
Oh, I ain't in marketing, by the way.
LorriM
Written Jul. 2, 2007 / Report /
I dislike hype for the same reason...the repetition of it all. I don't need it thrown in my face.
Ozone42
Written Jul. 2, 2007 / Report /
Hype can be bad, or good. The trick lies in setting the customer's expectation. Set it to high, and you've screwed yourself. Otherwise it will work to your benefit as it helps build anticipation and brand awareness.
peroty
Written Jul. 2, 2007 / Report /
Advertising = Hype.
4 years of ad class has taught me to hate advertising with a passion, and the associated hype.
The idea behind it all is to get people to remember something by presenting them with it over and over and over again.
However, I don't think anyone thought out the backlash that comes from being subjected to it 24/7. (cough iPhone, car ads cough).
Joe
Written Jul. 2, 2007 / Report /
I think hype is a mixed blessing for companies. People that get inundated with hype will probably get sick of it all. However, the bigger the hype, the more likely that it will reach people that haven't yet heard the message.
Those people that haven't yet heard the message become the next batch of potential customers. They then help perpetuate the wave of hype to their friends and family.
In the end this means more business for companies. However, a product has to live up to the hype or the backlash could be devastating.
dook
Written Jul. 2, 2007 / Report /
Is hype bad? No. Like someone mentioned, people talking about something is hype. Invariably, they're advertising something by spreading the word.
At the same time, it is completely possible to not read blog entries about something you already know about. If anyone makes a good point about that, it's this guy who can go through 200 RSS feeds in about 20 minutes.