These two photos were recently featured on a blog we came across, and vividly reminded us about how technology is disappearing from view and being replaced by other purchasing criteria.
On the top left, a Mercedes from 1982; top right a recent Mercedes concept car. On bottom left, Apple II from 1977; bottom right, 2012 Apple Retina MacBook Pro.
From heavy industry to high tech, progressive and confident manufacturers are literally hiding the “technological guts” of their machines and devices. Once the heroes of marketing, turbo chargers and CPUs are now relegated to powering other ideas, experiences and promises.
Indeed, you cannot open up and look at the “guts” of three of the most popular consumer devices on the market today: the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Obviously there are all sorts of bits and pieces at work, but they’re not the story. Apple’s message isn’t about what’s inside those boxes, but about what those boxes can do for you.
What gears, diodes, dials, etc. are you still promoting, as if they really mattered (apart from servings as “proof points” in the small print)?
“Bigger, faster, cheaper, now” is old school marketing.
This is the age of meaning for business. How you make life better, more rewarding and more gratifying is what sells today. How your work practices make this a fairer, safer and more equal society is what earns respect these days. What you do reduce to the burden your business (and hence your customers) places on the environment is what keeps you on the preferred vendor’s list
It’s probably time for you to put a cover on your technology, so you can build a stronger and more meaningful presence on top of that legacy.
Don’t let your technology drive you into oblivion. Raise your sights, discover how feels to truly matter to people and thrive in this, the age of meaning.
Photo credits:
W-201: Mercedes-Benz Press Release, conserved at Serious Wheels Car Pictures.
Apple II: Listing on Steven Stengel’s awesome Apple product page.
This is also a perfect way to cover up shoddy workmanship and control people by keeping them from modifying and using what they own in the way they want, like Apple does with its hot-glued laptop components, custom screws, walled garden app store and whatnot.
The car on the left already covers up the insides, but leaves them accessible. The car on the right covers up ..another cover. What’s the point? This does NOTHING but lock the user out. How can someone praise this mind-blowing idiocy?
People who try to obscure their product’s specs and instead sell “an experience” are usually the same kind of people who try to sell you blueberry muffins where the “blueberries” consist of food coloring, sugar and artificial jelly.
This is an age of corporate deception where people are fooled into buying junk in a pretty, shiny box. An age where commercials brainwash people into believing that everyone can be different and non-conformist by simply buying Apple’s ultra-conformist, mass-produced latest iFad. Who cares what’s inside? Who cares what it does? It’s shiny, new and hip!
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