heisel.org

Apple’s post-purchase branding

Saturday | January 29, 2005 | 8:00 am  

This is only the second time I’ve bought something from Apple, and the first time I’ve bought something from them online. And I must say, they need to work on their post-purchase branding.

I’m not a marketer, so that might not be the right term. I’m talking about the interval between when I plunk down my credit card, and when the thing arrives at my door.

We know that Apple’s packaging and product design is lick-a-licious.

And if you have a problem after you’ve gotten your new product, and happen to live near an Apple Store, you can avail yourself of the Geniuses.

But in that expectant time after I’ve paid my hard-earned cash, and I’m waiting for this great package to show up after my door, Apple’s got some problems.

First off, let’s talk graphic design. What’s this… Times New Roman? Large and ugly… how’d that sneak into the Apple visual identity?

Then take the e-mail communication I got from Apple. I got the standard, text-based, invoice of what product I ordered including the various build-to-order options, price, order number, etc. No problems there. But how about a follow-up note with a little pizzaz?

Maybe check your customer database and see if I’m a new Mac buyer… if so send me something about joining the Mac community, and wonderful life that’ll be spyware-free. Or if I’m a returning customer, why not reinforce my interest and commitment to the brand?

Once my iMac finally shipped, I got a similar text-based invoice, order number, expected delivery date, note.

No problems with that, but again why not follow up and have Apple’s servers tie in with the package tracking system and send me a note whenever it’s status changes. Something like “4 days till the computer of your dreams arrives.” (I’m not a marketer, don’t ask me to write ad copy :-) ).

The point is, Apple does a great job building excitement around its products. Once you’ve purchased one, they should help reinforce that excitement in the customer.

Make each user think that when their FedEx box arrives, it’s a moment as memorable as when Steve lifted the bag off the first Mac.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Categories: Business, Technology, Web design

iTunes AI?

Friday | January 28, 2005 | 4:38 pm  

iTunes just played “Hey Yeah!” and TMBG’s “Yeh Yeh,” one after the other.

Sometimes technology scares me.

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iMac on itsWay

Friday | January 28, 2005 | 10:13 am  

Erica and I finally bit the bullet and bought a new iMac to replace our aging G3 iBook.

Macsimus, the name we’ve given our G3 iBook — yeah obsessing over what to name your computer is a Mac-nerd thing, don’t ask — had been ill lately. His screen would go dark if you pushed it back too far.

Apparently it’s either the logic board or the inverter, either of which the Genius at our local Apple store told us Apple would fix for free. But to do that, they have ship Macs off to Apple, and Erica needs a Mac for several projects she’s got going… hence the as-yet-unnamed iMac.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Categories: Technology

Javascript development of yesteryear

Thursday | January 27, 2005 | 10:44 am  

If you had to do javascript development before Firefox brought us the Javascript console… I feel for you.

I just finished working on some NCAA bracket Javascript at work, and it was painful enough as is… I can’t imagine not having the console at my side.

The upside is, after the pain of initial development I cut the code back from 145 lines to 83 lines, and I could probably have cut it back further if I (used the/knew the) language (more often/better).

So, to any and all JS developers out there… if you’re not already using Firefox for development, then get get downloadin’.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Categories: Technology, Web design

Whatcha doing? PyObjC and WordPress

Thursday | January 20, 2005 | 12:59 pm  

This is the first in what I hope will be a series of posts called, unceremoniously, Whatcha doing?

So, without further ado, here’s what I’m doing:

• Learning PyObjC for a photo gallery project at work. A previous version of my gallery tool used Pashua as a fake GUI in conjunction with a Python command-line script/library I had previously created for my own personal use.

  The time has come to update the tool, and I’m working through Apple tutorial as modified by by the PyObjC folks.

• Considering WordPress for heisel.org

  Why? Partly because change is fun, partly because I don’t like rebuilding, partly because it’s written in a language I know and so can extend — though Python would be better :-).

• Reading Guns, Germs and Steel, which was a gift from Erica.

  I was worried that, like The Bell Curve, it would be an excuse for racism. If the introduction and first few chapters are accurate, it’s a very well thought-out and well-written anthropological/historical look at why some civilizations (read: white folks) have developed deep, complex cultures and technologies, while others haven’t.

• Watching Carnivale and Battlestar Galactica.

  Yeah, I’m geek — it’s just nice to have first run, quality sci-fi on the air since our dearly departed left us so long ago.

  Update: Apparently, Ron Moore has a blog.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Categories: Technology, Whatcha doin'