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Bonds Are a 'Safe' Investment: A Big Lie Gets Even BiggerWhat's in a name? Sometimes everything when it comes to marketing a new product. Companies spend substantial amounts of money on the naming of products and advertising campaigns to promote them. Microsoft probably spent millions.
Well Apple (AAPL) has a solid product in the iPod and iTune brands, that's for sure. But its market position is made even more secure because, starting a few laps behind, the "Zune" from Microsoft (MSFT) seems like it will go nowhere fast.
There is no indication that the Zune will bring with it any fresh ideas or features. It seems to be another, "We have to have a piece of that market somehow product." See Underwhelming Zune in Forbes.
Does this Zune work for you? Anybody got a better idea? Anybody think this has the smallest chance of competing with the iPod? Maybe they throw billions of dollars at the project and create another money losing X-BOX? Actually X-BOX works as a brand name. MP3 is a cooler name than Zune. I could write a "Rap-tune", would I write a Rap-Zune?
iTunes works for me... but iZunes?, Zuner?, Zunettes?, Zune Video?, MicroZune? (that might work) Oh well, not my gig. They must have done some advance market research -- did they call you? Maybe a Microsoft executive somewhere has a kid named Zune?
I'm sure there are people who like the name, and if the product was remarkable the name would grow on me, but there is no reason to believe this is going to happen here.
A "rose by any other name" - NOT
Disclosure: I do not own Apple of Microsoft stock but my kids have iPods.
Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the vice president for Design and Research of an Architecture & Planning firm.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-01-2006 @ 12:49PM
Robert said...
What a poorly informed and poorly written piece. Zune will have a larger screen, FM Tuner, and wireless capability. iPod has none of the above. Oh yeah, Microsoft will be giving away any songs you already have in your iTunes library. There is nothing special about iPod, except its lack of features.
9-01-2006 @ 1:03PM
Tim said...
Zune is simply a repacked Toshiba player. If you think it's so great go buy one now. You will probably save a little money not having to pay the middle man. Unfortunately you might have to see a chiropractor due to this players thickness and weight. iTunes works, all the rest of this is just vaporware. You know, like Vista.
9-01-2006 @ 1:31PM
Sheldon said...
Yawn...
So those are big breakthroughs, a larger screen and FM radio? That will knock the iPOD off it's thrown? I don't think so. If these tweaks were a threat Apple would keep pace in a flash. But competition is good and it would not matter to me if Zune captured some of the growing market. Good luck to AAPL, MSFT and to others.
9-01-2006 @ 8:16PM
mep #3 said...
Sandisk has a better product than both apple and microsoft. Due to its ground up integration and, (soon to be realized acuisition of FLSH), Sandisk can sell a more powerfull and impressive product for less while still realizing a higher profit margin then the more expensive less impressive products that apple and microsoft produce.
Your missing the real player in the market in 3 years your going to be asking, "How did we miss Sandisk?"
9-02-2006 @ 12:13PM
frabgod said...
You should make note of the Wireless feature in Zune - it's a compelling feature (to many) that separates it immediately from iPod.
The name... I had the same eyeball-roll reaction at first. But it grows on you. :)
frabgod
http://www.Zunerama.com
9-02-2006 @ 12:42PM
Ivan said...
To this day, I still can't figure out what iPod stands for ... but it seemed to work. Really what is in a name? Its not the name that sells, its the product that makes the name.
And the Zune isn't a repackaged Toshiba player (seen any like it out there?) its manufactured by Toshiba.
9-02-2006 @ 5:26PM
Microsoft Sam said...
This blog is a joke. This guy is one of those Apple MAC elitest jerks. Look the Zune will not be an "iPod Killer" but it will be a fresh new face in an iPod world that personaly I think is getting very stagnet.
9-04-2006 @ 2:50PM
Lee said...
I too was a bit shocked by the name and think that you can't really extend the brand to accessories ... are people going to call one device the zTrip or zPhone? Or are we just being dumb? Would we criticise Microsoft if they tried to follow the Apple formula iThis, iThat? When you sit down and think about it, perhaps they don't want to be the preppy, clean cut device of the MP3 player market? Perhaps they want to be the Wolfmother, subversive, uncommonly distinctive. Having an Ipod is so perse'. Be different, be unique don't let the hype determine what you have attatched to ears just how you like you want to be different between then!
Lee
9-04-2006 @ 2:53PM
Lee said...
I too believe that there are many people out there are "Apple MAC elitest jerks". Well may be "jerks" is a bit harsh, but I do believe there is a lot of snobbery. People say that you're not a true "hip dude" unless you've got an iPod. Well I'm happy with my iRiver and if the Zune's any good I'll get one. Brand loyalty is something that's preserved for those that don't have the intellect to widen their own choices or too much money that getting a good deal doesn't matter.
http://www.zune-player.co.uk