From Dan Brown (via email) comes a compare-and-contrast exercise in using marketing content to communicate what a novel technology does. This is the Tivo problem — it’s hard to get across what the thing does, but when people use it, they love it. In this case, we’re talking products that wirelessly connect your music with your whole house.
In this corner, Roku
And in this corner, Sonos
Guess which, when you’re setting it up, asks if you’re wi-fi password is “ASCII” or “Hex.”?
And when you click in to Sonos, you get a remarkably easy-to-understand page devoid of techspeak.
I’m collecting good examples of web marketing copy. Ideally, ones that use *the Web* — linking, multimedia, etc. But clarity and engagement will do, too. You got any favorites? Place them in comments.
Sonos is obviously going for the iPod look. Perhaps Roku is looking more at the hardcore techie crowd, who are already completely WiFi savvy, and so smoothing out the technical details is not a priority for them.
If KFC marketed their products like Soundbridge does, their slogan would be: “Dead, deep-fried chicken parts in a bucket.” I didn’t make that up, but it brought the point home. Now whenever I see marketing copy like that, I think “MMM. . .Dead chicken parts.”