• 12 Comments
  • June 5th 2007

The significance of product demos

It doesn’t happen much anymore, but door-to-door salesman used to be common in our early youth, especially in our parent’s era. When vacuum cleaners and tupperware dominated this practice, a crafty fella’ with his product in tow would do everything he could to convince you to allow him to demo his offering before you…….it would only take a few moments of your time.

The internet and online video have allowed demos to evolve from employing salesman to pitch door-to-door, to showing how powerful a blender is via YouTube. The cost and time for demoing a product nowadays is minuscule compared to the salary or commission of a fleet of salesmen.

In most cases, you’re able to share a story about your product and control the features and benefits emphasized. If that story isn’t truthful, the demo can turn on you, like it did with the Kryptonite bike lock.

This past week, two demos were released, both in the form of video. One from Microsoft, hosted by Bill Gates, the other from Apple. Which of the two do you think is going to drive more demand and get more coverage? Compare the simplicity and memorability of one versus the other.

Microsoft Surface (video)

iPhone Ad (video)

  • http://www.blogtrepreneur.com Adnan

    Obviously the iPhone ad is a lot more memorable and aesthetically pleasing, but at the end of the day, that’s exactly what it is…an ad.

    On the other hand, Microsoft’s release may have been intended more for informational purposes and thus we’re given the walkthrough style of video by Mr Gates. I think that if it were an ad, Microsoft would try and market their Surface computer in a better way. But kudos for Apple for making a simple video that again urges me to buy the iPhone - they look soooo cool!

  • http://www.blogtrepreneur.com Adnan

    Obviously the iPhone ad is a lot more memorable and aesthetically pleasing, but at the end of the day, that’s exactly what it is…an ad.

    On the other hand, Microsoft’s release may have been intended more for informational purposes and thus we’re given the walkthrough style of video by Mr Gates. I think that if it were an ad, Microsoft would try and market their Surface computer in a better way. But kudos for Apple for making a simple video that again urges me to buy the iPhone - they look soooo cool!

  • http://www.younggogetter.com/ Eric

    Am I the only one who thinks the Surface looks awesome?

  • http://www.younggogetter.com/ Eric

    Am I the only one who thinks the Surface looks awesome?

  • http://www.younggogetter.com Travis

    I think it’s ironically more over hyped than the iPhone, if that’s possible. They may have been working on it longer than the one shown at TedTalks a year or so ago, but we had no clue and it now seems like a clone.

    It also seems like a poor attempt to pull attention away from Apple’s touch screen product.

    I don’t know, it just looks dated. A huge lag in response, gigantic table that looks like what Pac Man used to be played on.

    Adnan, while the Apple example can be defined as an ad, both are forms of marketing.

    A year from now if you ask people whan an iPhone is and what a Surface is, you can guess the response you’ll get.

  • http://www.younggogetter.com Travis

    I think it’s ironically more over hyped than the iPhone, if that’s possible. They may have been working on it longer than the one shown at TedTalks a year or so ago, but we had no clue and it now seems like a clone.

    It also seems like a poor attempt to pull attention away from Apple’s touch screen product.

    I don’t know, it just looks dated. A huge lag in response, gigantic table that looks like what Pac Man used to be played on.

    Adnan, while the Apple example can be defined as an ad, both are forms of marketing.

    A year from now if you ask people whan an iPhone is and what a Surface is, you can guess the response you’ll get.

  • http://www.younggogetter.com/ Eric

    All very true, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to play a video puzzle :)

    How badass would it be to have an interactive ordering system and entertainment right at your table while at a bar though? I think that’d be pretty elite…

  • http://www.younggogetter.com/ Eric

    All very true, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to play a video puzzle :)

    How badass would it be to have an interactive ordering system and entertainment right at your table while at a bar though? I think that’d be pretty elite…

  • http://www.younggogetter.com/ Travis

    I think that would be very cool. But it would have much better odds of being deployed on a global scale if someone like Jobs was pitching it, instead of Gates. He’s a natural storyteller.

  • http://www.younggogetter.com/ Travis

    I think that would be very cool. But it would have much better odds of being deployed on a global scale if someone like Jobs was pitching it, instead of Gates. He’s a natural storyteller.

  • http://www.blownmortgage.com/ Morgan

    Travis - you are right. Gates just isn’t that inspiring. Jobs is much better at crafting the product and brand value through a story (which has filtered down through Apple) and let’s face it - stories are the only things that people remember. Long after specs, details, and stats have faded a great story is still there going strong.

  • http://www.blownmortgage.com/ Morgan

    Travis - you are right. Gates just isn’t that inspiring. Jobs is much better at crafting the product and brand value through a story (which has filtered down through Apple) and let’s face it - stories are the only things that people remember. Long after specs, details, and stats have faded a great story is still there going strong.