Popular isn’t always best

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Mediocrity amongst some well-known and respected brands has become something of a bug bear with me lately.

Starbucks, Apple, NYC and The Great North Run are four huge brands enjoying great popularity and kudos at the moment, but my recent experiences leave me wondering what all the fuss is about. Firstly, let’s consider Starbucks. Friends and associates are constantly reminding me how good they are – great coffee, relaxing surroundings and they have a strong environmental policy. I do like the brand and their shops always seem to entice me in. However, when you queue up for a £4 wonder coffee, struggle to find a seat and then eventually sit at a dirty table you are left wondering why it remains so popular? I look around and am convinced if we were all served ‘Nescafé instant’ few could tell the difference.

I love Apple Mac computers and indeed The Marketing Café uses nothing else. That said, the recent iPhone launch has soured my relationship with this iconic brand. For me it didn’t start well when the product was launched with great furore and hype, but there were none in stock. I sensed a bit of a manufactured craze as people stood in line waiting for Apple stores to open. Then I was further frustrated as a business customer who wanted more than one phone, I had to visit an 02 store rather than order over the phone. I was trying to buy a working tool for business but for me Apple’s first mistake was to treat it like another iPod launch. From a marketing point of view Blackberry was already looking like a more serious business product. However, I thought compatibility would be easier with the likes of iCal, Address Book etc so I patiently waited for the iPhone. Since acquiring the phone 12 months ago it has been exchanged three times due to faults. Each time I have had to visit the Apple Store and see a ‘Genius’. Needless to say I’ll be switching to another phone at the earliest opportunity.

I’ve been visiting NYC for 23 years now and have seen it progress from a seedy and dangerous place to a safe and appealing metropolis. This month I visited the city for the first time in twelve years and was hugely disappointed. It still has an appeal, but it has lost so much of its character as small independent shops have been pushed out in favour of larger chains that we can see anywhere in the world. Although, there is a Starbucks on every street corner, so that can’t be bad can it? For me NYC has simply become too popular with tourists buzzing around everyway. Times Square is now substantially paved so pedestrians and tourists can freely wander around. This takes away from its ‘centre of the world working city’ feeling to be replaced with something akin to a Disneyland theme park. On top of that the people, who have always been a little abrasive in an endearing way, have become much ruder and let’s not talk about the expected tipping of 18-20% whether you get good service or not.

The next target of my mediocrity rant is The Great North Run. It is well-organised with a great atmosphere, yet the world’s biggest half marathon for the runner at least is dull, dull, dull. Apart from the start and the end there is very little to look at during the run except miles and miles of dual carriageway and roundabouts. Glasgow is far better in terms of interest along the route, but has much fewer numbers.

It’s true that most brands strive to be famous and popular, but all too often a pattern develops where success leads to mediocrity. The only way to correct this is for the market to vote with its feet. However, the market needs to be lead and that requires bravery from the front, which for a time will mean you are not necessarily that popular. Read ‘Tribes’ by Seth Godin – it makes a lot of sense in today’s world.