When I imagine a typical consumer, I like to think of my mom. Like many consumers, she's chosen to educate herself on what is important to her, including technology. When she purchases a new computer, phone, camera or other device, she knows exactly why she's made that particular decision and purchased from a particular source. Once she has the technology in hand, she takes the time to learn about its features so that she can make the most of it. In short, I think she's a smart consumer. And yet, I doubt she understands the concept of the cloud.
In a recently-launched advertising campaign from Microsoft, everyday people go "to the cloud" to accomplish their real-life tasks (finishing a work project, editing and sharing photos, you get the idea). Some of the commercials do a better job than others at explaining the cloud, but all of them make an assumption that consumers understand what the word means.
In one commercial, a mom works on editing a family photo, replacing her family's distracted faces with smiling, camera-facing versions by cutting and pasting from other pictures taken earlier that day. In the end, she tells us, "Windows gives me the family nature never could." While I always chuckle at that line, I can't help but thinking the premise of the commercial could ultimately hurt Microsoft's attempts to explain the value of the cloud. It implies that editing a photo taken at home and loaded on the home computer requires going "to the cloud," which it probably doesn't.
In the end, these commercials are most successful at showing how everyday tasks are easier with the cloud, which may be enough for the time being.
As for my mom, I plan on asking her how she uses the cloud the next time I talk to her. I bet she'll frown and wonder why I'm asking about the weather. |
