Topic: Not Tech post but Marketing post

Ever since I rec'd my first Chumby I've been crazy about the concept. I worried that the advertising and demographic wasn't capturing the right people. I believe that there's a good marketplace out there for all the other boomer women and guys I know who would also enjoy having a little "friend" in their Kitchen. It adds photos (like the ones they keep on the fridge), it plays music, it could stream recipes, it gives news, and it's friendly. It stays clean, it's small, and it's adorable. I always felt that the price was a bit too high and the marketing was missing one of the marks. My friends always want to know more about mine - sitting near the sink and keeping me company all the time.

Re: Not Tech post but Marketing post

I certainly agree with you that more kinds of folks would have loved Chumbys if they'd bought one. I can't figure why more people didn't go for them. Unfortunately this is kind of academic now since no more are being made. I guess we just have to consider ourselves lucky for having gotten our "little friends" when we did.

Re: Not Tech post but Marketing post

bobsz wrote:

I certainly agree with you that more kinds of folks would have loved Chumbys if they'd bought one. I can't figure why more people didn't go for them. Unfortunately this is kind of academic now since no more are being made. I guess we just have to consider ourselves lucky for having gotten our "little friends" when we did.

I guess less is more, as I bought my InfoCast after Chumby went out of business! I didn't think the widgets were actually useful, but now I'm fine with a super powerful alarm clock and internet radio. I just wish there was RSS, as weather seems to be too hard to program with the current server and Weather Underground has RSS feeds for every city on their site.

Re: Not Tech post but Marketing post

I've thought about this a lot, and I have a number of theories!

The really big one is that people couldn't really understand what an internet appliance is. If you'd try to explain it to someone, they thought it was either an alarm clock or a digital picture frame, depending on the model. Or just a really slow computer for technophobes.

It also had some unfortunate timing in that it went to market as smartphone adoption was increasing, so a lot of people considered it redundant or, again, a sort of quaint beginner's version of a smartphone for technophobes.

To me, the one really big selling point is that it's calm, ambient technology. You don't sit down in front of it like a computer, or even pull it out and purposefully look at it like you do with a phone. But that's a kind of weird and abstract selling point, so it's hard to explain.

I have noticed, though, that people who come to the house and see it really like it. It's just very hard to explain what's so cool about it. It's the sort of thing that would really have to be a disruptive technology to get any traction, because it doesn't fit an existing market that people understand. I hate that this is the case, but Apple is about the only company out there that can create new markets like that.

Oh, man. Please pretend that I just delivered some finely crafted joke about disruptive ambience or ambient disruption. That would have been hilarious!

Re: Not Tech post but Marketing post

lisarea wrote:

I've thought about this a lot, and I have a number of theories!

The really big one is that people couldn't really understand what an internet appliance is. If you'd try to explain it to someone, they thought it was either an alarm clock or a digital picture frame, depending on the model. Or just a really slow computer for technophobes.

It also had some unfortunate timing in that it went to market as smartphone adoption was increasing, so a lot of people considered it redundant or, again, a sort of quaint beginner's version of a smartphone for technophobes.

To me, the one really big selling point is that it's calm, ambient technology. You don't sit down in front of it like a computer, or even pull it out and purposefully look at it like you do with a phone. But that's a kind of weird and abstract selling point, so it's hard to explain.

I have noticed, though, that people who come to the house and see it really like it. It's just very hard to explain what's so cool about it. It's the sort of thing that would really have to be a disruptive technology to get any traction, because it doesn't fit an existing market that people understand. I hate that this is the case, but Apple is about the only company out there that can create new markets like that.

Oh, man. Please pretend that I just delivered some finely crafted joke about disruptive ambiance or ambient disruption. That would have been hilarious!

Since you didn't think of one, I will. Q:What did the Blue Octy say to the people who broke into people's houses and replaced their alarm clocks with Chumbys? A:Stop making my ambient technology disruptive!

Okay, it needs a little work. Anyway, hype would certainly help. However, hype is hard to make if you are a little startup, so Chumby would have had to use other means. For example, if someone made an audiophile grade stereo with Chumby technology, than they may also want one for their room, albiet with a less powerful speaker system. That would have helped form the niche market that Chumby never seemed to get into. What you said about phones is kind of wrong, however, because the Chumby actually came out before the first iPhone! What you said is correct. If I never saw a Chumby before I'd assume it was some kind of alarm clock or phone case. They (China) actually make devices like an android phone, but inside a bedside exterior. Chumby was the first, and arguably the best.