Let them experience it straight

There was a time when the prevailing wisdom in advertising circles was that brands had to get away from talking about product features (which bored and confused consumers) and should instead move on to focusing on product benefits (differentiating themselves through the emotional connections they made with people). They had to focus on higher-order needs, as it were.

For brands dealing in commoditised or undifferentiated currencies (like most banks, insurance companies, and internet service providers) that remains true. It shouldn't of course...they should be focused on creating unique product or experience innovations...but that's how it is today.

And then there's a different type of brand, one operating in a savvy universe of already-experienced consumers. Like Bing. Looking to take the fight to Google after the failure of Live Search. For Bing to promote itself by talking about emotional benefits would be absurd. Every (and I mean every) target consumer for Bing is already using a search engine, every day of their lives. For Bing to promote itself by talking about the joys of search would not only be pointless, it would potentially be damaging, suggesting that it was five years out of date and completely blind to the Google revolution.

Instead, Bing is fighting on design...visual design, interface design, search design. Bing is offering different features, different functionality, and a different experience. This is the future...no more distracting debates about a focus on rational product features or emotional brand benefits. Instead, a total focus on the experience, on all the tiny (but massively consequential) pieces that comprise that experience. And definitely no wishy-washy higher-emotional needs waffle.

Comments

[Perry Wheaton]

Interesting and positive observations about Bing, Matt - but if I'm not mistaken, don't you work for an agency that has Microsoft as a client? Seeding this stuff into a blog may be understandable from an income point of view, but it's rather disingenuous. A bit more disclosure please.

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