The Mojave Experiment
I recently saw a commercial where “real people, not actors” were giving testimonials about software they had just used. The reviews were glowing, particularly regarding a functionality that allowed people to form continuous panoramic images with individual pics. The commercial then cut to a screen that said: “Learn more about Windows Live PhotoGallery at MojaveExperiment.com. And then to another that simply displayed the Windows Vista logo.
Curious, I checked out the site.
“What do people think of Windows Vista when they don’t know it’s Windows Vista?” it asks, offering you videos upon videos of an experiment that ‘tricked’ users into taking the operating system for a test drive. The goal: potential customers see the positive reactions Vista received in the experiment,
inspiring them to check their own preconceptions, biases, and second-hand stories at the door and try Vista themselves.
To me, the Mojave Experiment is the software equivalent of the Folgers campaign in the 1990s, which exclaimed “We’ve replaced their regular coffee with Folger’s Crystals. Let’s see if they notice!” I can’t help but assume both companies used a similar thought process in deciding to publicize positive reviews of a product in order to overcome negative brand perception.
The question, of course, remains: When is it too late to resuscitate a weakened brand? We’ll have to wait and see if this campaign will help bring Vista back to life.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook
Personally, I think it’s not too late for Vista; it goes into the same column as Quaker oatmeal. As far as instant coffees go, Folger’s Crystals rates as one of the worst. The only thing that leaves a more bitter taste in your mouth is Chrysler.