.. time to relax
At this time when it seems normal to create organic buzz before launching a product, there is so much buzz around that it gets annoying. Many companies are leaking information about new stuff coming our way and you get the suspicious feeling that they leak on purpose. They deny and the harder they deny it, the more we get certain that they do it on purpose.
Apple is good example of a company that uses this type of marketing. (Even when it is really unintentional leaking making the best use of it is definitely marketing.) Shortly before every launch rumors start in the blogosphere that something exciting is coming to the world. Just the announcement of another presentation with Steve Jobs is enough to get the wild speculations going. Hypes turn into overhypes. Expectations turn into disillusions with the launch of a leather pouch for your iPod.
A trend in leaked information
Creating a buzz is definitely a trend. Even if these leaks are unintentional on the current Internet there are always people who will find the document with the list of the versions of the upcoming Microsoft Windows Vista. Through these careful observers we also know of something like Google's G-Drive (supposedly an online storage for all your files) and CL2 (an on line calendar, rumored to be part of the persistently rumored web based G Office suite).
It makes me wonder how people find these hidden pieces of information in some document somewhere on web server without a little help from their friends inside.
The other trend
Apart from taking a leak the other way is claiming a domain with some interesting name some a couple of teasers and let everyone guess what it is all bout. Microsoft is at with The Origami Project a site that sounds like a new Dan Brown bestseller.
What can we learn from this?
A new channel for creating brand heat is now in full swing. The blogosphere is an important part in this. Teaser videos known from Sony Playstation and many Nike campaigns have now found there equivalent on the Internet.
This new channel is cheap and simple.
Taking a leak requires putting a document on your server and accidentally drop the link to some friend who can then blog about it. That friend can even be an insider making a blog entry about it.
Setting up a teaser web site is not too expensive. Get some Flash wizards in and set them loose to create some whirling logos and phrases and make sure it ends with return soon for more ..
It's not just the big players
Not only the big companies can play this game also the smaller companies can excel in this area. As said it is cheap and all you need is some people taking notice and blog about it.
So, it's up to you and me to create some more buzz on already buzzy Internet and maybe that little mashup Web 2.0 app your are just putting together on those long dark nights can become something everyone yearns for long before the actual launch.
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