Is Centrino brand all that strong?

On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 22:07:42 -0500, Yousuf Khan <bbbl67 RemoveThis @ezrs.com>
wrote:

 >It sounds like a desperate attempt by a competitor to discredit a
 >successful campaign. However, looking at the details they are indicating
 >that only people who travel in airports regularly know about Centrino,
 >and obviously ... techies. But the rest of Mr. or Ms. Joe or Jane
 >Average? Nada.
 >

Google up

centrino brand strength

and wade through the links yourself. .

All the players are smart, all know about marketing and branding, all
know that marketing and branding cost money. Intel has lots of money,
but they are under constant pressure to keep their margins in line.
How would you spend the money?

Brands are very, very expensive, but every marketer wants a
recognizable brand, and whether a brand is "recognizable" or not may
depend on how you ask the question. Look at enough notebooks and
notebook ads with the Centrino logo, and the brand becomes
recognizable, if only from the distinctive shape of the logo--that's
why really good graphics designers make so much. To the prospective
buyer, that logo becomes a feature they want to have, even if they
don't know why (cf. Corinthian leather).

To turn the question around: how much market clout do you think an AMD
logo has?

RM<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 08:11:24 -0500, Robert Myers <rmyers1400.RemoveThis@comcast.net>
wrote:

 >On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 22:07:42 -0500, Yousuf Khan <bbbl67.RemoveThis@ezrs.com>
 >wrote:
 >
  >>It sounds like a desperate attempt by a competitor to discredit a
  >>successful campaign. However, looking at the details they are indicating
  >>that only people who travel in airports regularly know about Centrino,
  >>and obviously ... techies. But the rest of Mr. or Ms. Joe or Jane
  >>Average? Nada.
  >>
 >
 >Google up
 >
 >centrino brand strength
 >
 >and wade through the links yourself. .
 >
 >All the players are smart, all know about marketing and branding, all
 >know that marketing and branding cost money. Intel has lots of money,
 >but they are under constant pressure to keep their margins in line.
 >How would you spend the money?
 >
 >Brands are very, very expensive, but every marketer wants a
 >recognizable brand, and whether a brand is "recognizable" or not may
 >depend on how you ask the question. Look at enough notebooks and
 >notebook ads with the Centrino logo, and the brand becomes
 >recognizable, if only from the distinctive shape of the logo--that's
 >why really good graphics designers make so much. To the prospective
 >buyer, that logo becomes a feature they want to have, even if they
 >don't know why (cf. Corinthian leather).

Was (fine) Corinthian Leather really all that successful? Most people
don't know what Centrino is anyway - it's generally perceived as meaning an
Intel CPU... with a possible assocation with long battery life.

 >To turn the question around: how much market clout do you think an AMD
 >logo has?

If you watch F1 or the Tour de France... maybe? How much clout does Lance
have in the U.S.?<shrug> It's just the wrong color - most people hate
green [try to sell a green car]; they should change it to sky-blue or maybe
puce.</facetious>

--
Rgds, George Macdonald<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

Yousuf Khan wrote:
 > It sounds like a desperate attempt by a competitor to discredit a
 > successful campaign. However, looking at the details they are indicating
 > that only people who travel in airports regularly know about Centrino,
 > and obviously ... techies. But the rest of Mr. or Ms. Joe or Jane
 > Average? Nada.
 >
 > Yousuf Khan

Oops, forgot to paste the link:

Intel Centrino brand weak, AMD thinks
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=21073" target="_blank">http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=21073</a>

  Yousuf Khan<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

Robert Myers wrote:
 > To turn the question around: how much market clout do you think an AMD
 > logo has?

Funny, you should ask, looks like AMD is asking itself the same question:

AMD strikes back at Intel brand hegemony
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20890" target="_blank">http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20890</a>

  Yousuf Khan<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 17:12:32 -0500, George Macdonald
<fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote:

 >On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 08:11:24 -0500, Robert Myers <rmyers1400 RemoveThis @comcast.net>
 >wrote:
 >Was (fine) Corinthian Leather really all that successful? Most people
 >don't know what Centrino is anyway - it's generally perceived as meaning an
 >Intel CPU... with a possible assocation with long battery life.

No no no! Centrino means that you can use WiFi at the top of Mount
Everest! Dontcha know?!? Geez.. If you've got Centrino than you can
use WiFi ANYWHERE! Just watch the commercials! :>

  >>To turn the question around: how much market clout do you think an AMD
  >>logo has?
 >
 >If you watch F1 or the Tour de France... maybe? How much clout does Lance
 >have in the U.S.?<shrug> It's just the wrong color - most people hate
 >green [try to sell a green car]; they should change it to sky-blue or maybe
 >puce.</facetious>

Hmm.. I guess I yet again do not fit the standard profile. Not only
do I rather like green, but I also watch F1 and have even been known
to catch the odd bit of the Tour. Maybe that's why I like AMD
processors?! :>

-------------
Tony Hill
hilla <underscore> 20 <at> yahoo <dot> ca<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

this post is not archived.
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 23:02:04 -0500, Yousuf Khan <bbbl67.DeleteThis@ezrs.com>
wrote:

 >Robert Myers wrote:

  >> To turn the question around: how much market clout do you think an AMD
  >> logo has?
 >
 >Funny, you should ask, looks like AMD is asking itself the same question:
 >
 >AMD strikes back at Intel brand hegemony
 >http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20890
 >
  > Yousuf Khan

I'm glad to see that AMD has started paying more attention to my posts
to comp.*. .

It's an ancient story. A better mousetrap just isn't good enough.

At the risk of dragging the discussion off-topic, another organization
that seems to have gotten religion is NASA:

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://origins.jpl.nasa.gov/about/index.html" target="_blank">http://origins.jpl.nasa.gov/about/index.html</a>

I didn't direct you to the actual homepage of the Origins program,
because _it_ is still stuck in classic NASA
look-at-the-latest-metal-we-hurled-at-the-heavens mentality. With
that little misstep, though, NASA seems finally to have grasped that
it is more important to tell an engaging story than it is to do the
impossible.

RM<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 17:12:32 -0500, George Macdonald
<fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote:

 >On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 08:11:24 -0500, Robert Myers <rmyers1400.TakeThisOut@comcast.net>
 >wrote:
 >

<snip>

  >>
  >>Brands are very, very expensive, but every marketer wants a
  >>recognizable brand, and whether a brand is "recognizable" or not may
  >>depend on how you ask the question. Look at enough notebooks and
  >>notebook ads with the Centrino logo, and the brand becomes
  >>recognizable, if only from the distinctive shape of the logo--that's
  >>why really good graphics designers make so much. To the prospective
  >>buyer, that logo becomes a feature they want to have, even if they
  >>don't know why (cf. Corinthian leather).
 >
 >Was (fine) Corinthian Leather really all that successful?

Corinthian Leather was successful enough to get a writeup in the Wall
Street Journal, and Chrysler stuck with the ad campaign through many
millions of dollars. I think that campaign was well into the focus
group era. Did it sell cars? Would I be spending time here if I
_really_ knew the answer to questions like that? .

 >Most people
 >don't know what Centrino is anyway - it's generally perceived as meaning an
 >Intel CPU... with a possible assocation with long battery life.
 >

But it doesn't matter. It's a feature. The feature, you argue, is
poorly correlated in the minds of potential buyers with actual
benefits, but that doesn't matter if it's a feature people want.

If I'm not mistaken, full Centrino is more expensive than
Pentium-M+855 Chipset+OEM-supplied wireless. The OEM is buying the ad
campaign, not the functionality.

  >>To turn the question around: how much market clout do you think an AMD
  >>logo has?
 >
 >If you watch F1 or the Tour de France... maybe? How much clout does Lance
 >have in the U.S.?<shrug>

Why would an American spend his time riding a bicycle in _France_?
Real men don't ride bicycles, they don't wear shorts like that, they
don't spend time in France or, if forced to do so, don't advertise it,
and they don't use AMD processors. People who ride bicycles, wear
shorts like that, spend time in France, and/or use AMD processors
probably spend their spare time playing weird computer games.

 >It's just the wrong color - most people hate
 >green [try to sell a green car]; they should change it to sky-blue or maybe
 >puce.</facetious>

I liked your analysis of Sempron better. .

RM<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 10:28:29 GMT, Never anonymous Bud
<newskat RemoveThis @katxyzkave.net> wrote:

 >Using a finger dipped in purple ink, Tony Hill <hilla_nospam_20 RemoveThis @yahoo.ca> scribed:
 >
  >>No no no! Centrino means that you can use WiFi at the top of Mount
  >>Everest! Dontcha know?!? Geez.. If you've got Centrino than you can
  >>use WiFi ANYWHERE! Just watch the commercials! :>
 >
 >Yeah, in the middle of a park with NOTHING around for hundreds of yards!
 >
 >That Intel, they're really good at (make up something)...

Marketing?

-------------
Tony Hill
hilla <underscore> 20 <at> yahoo <dot> ca<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 10:46:01 -0500, Robert Myers
<rmyers1400.DeleteThis@comcast.net> wrote:

 >If I'm not mistaken, full Centrino is more expensive than
 >Pentium-M+855 Chipset+OEM-supplied wireless. The OEM is buying the ad
 >campaign, not the functionality.

The OEM is NOT buying the ad campaign at all, they're getting PAID for
the ad campaign. Intel provides BIG-$$$ for companies to advertise
their laptops as "Centrino Mobile Technology", complete with the Intel
symbol and badda-bing. If you just buy the Pentium-M + chipset but
use a different WiFi chip than you gotta foot the entire marketing
bill to advertise your products. Add in that Intel WiFi chip though
and call it Centrino and Intel will basically cover all of your
marketing costs.

-------------
Tony Hill
hilla <underscore> 20 <at> yahoo <dot> ca<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 15:24:58 -0500, Tony Hill wrote:

 > On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 10:28:29 GMT, Never anonymous Bud
 > <newskat RemoveThis @katxyzkave.net> wrote:
 >
  >>Using a finger dipped in purple ink, Tony Hill <hilla_nospam_20 RemoveThis @yahoo.ca> scribed:
  >>
   >>>No no no! Centrino means that you can use WiFi at the top of Mount
   >>>Everest! Dontcha know?!? Geez.. If you've got Centrino than you can
   >>>use WiFi ANYWHERE! Just watch the commercials! :>
  >>
  >>Yeah, in the middle of a park with NOTHING around for hundreds of yards!
  >>
  >>That Intel, they're really good at (make up something)...
 >
 > Marketing?
 >
 > -------------
 > Tony Hill
 > hilla <underscore> 20 <at> yahoo <dot> ca

I am still waiting for Intel or AMD to do something like the Vonage
commercials. you know "People do stupid things" then you insert a guy in a
blue Centrino shirt, or in a green AMD shirt, do something really stupid
with a computer. Or have a big pop up screen, telling the user to right
click, show the user pounding on the left mouse button. Oh don't forget
that catchy tune, that in itself is probably what makes the commercials so
funny. But we all know that who ever did that would probably have the
attorneys knocking on their doors with defamation law suites.

Gnu_Raiz<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

Tony Hill wrote:
 > No no no! Centrino means that you can use WiFi at the top of Mount
 > Everest! Dontcha know?!? Geez.. If you've got Centrino than you can
 > use WiFi ANYWHERE! Just watch the commercials! :>

I think I can recall seeing in fine print on those Intel commercials
that they were saying that there was WiFi at some basestation of
Everest. Of course that had little to do with the images they were
showing on the commercial itself, which really made it clear that these
climbers must've been 10,000 feet up already.

  Yousuf Khan<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong? 

Tony Hill wrote:
  >>Yeah, in the middle of a park with NOTHING around for hundreds of yards!
  >>
  >>That Intel, they're really good at (make up something)...
 >
 >
 > Marketing?

While AMD's marketing department recently had to pull some radio ads
from Belgium or the Netherlands or somewhere like that, because they
were claiming that their NX-bit technology was a substitute for
anti-virus software. Seems Intel gets away with a few things which AMD
gets caught for.

  Yousuf Khan<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Is Centrino brand all that strong?