Microvision recently announced a “back to college” promotion for its laser based PicoP projector SHOWwx… by reducing the list price down to $449 which also included the VGA dock.
After having made an extensive check with my contacts in the computer resellers community [from my past life] that sells consumer electronics gadgets to college students all over the US… I have to say that Microvision’s marketing effort is limited to a blurb about the price reduction offer on their web site… and that’s about it.
There are no signs of any marketing effort to promote or sell SHOWwx to the college students… other than an advertisement on the Microvision web site at…
http://www.microvision.com/pico_projector_displays/index.html
College students represent, for many companies like Microvision, a valuable demographic. It's easy to understand why… because most young people are still shaping their brand loyalty, they usually have disposable income, and most are interested in trying new things. Unfortunately, marketing to college students can pose a challenge because they are immune to many classic methods of marketing. By injecting a little fun into the message and having the right attitude, campus marketing can bring your product or service a lot of attention.
Before you decide to launch your marketing campaign, be aware of the “Campus Solicitation” policy of each and every individual campus on your target list. Most colleges discourage aggressive solicitation of students, faculty, and staff on campus. These activities often disrupt campus routine, offend segments of the College community, and imply endorsement by the College of particular products, services, or ideas.
Here’s one idea that is most cost effective and incorporates all of the best of breed ideas in one place…
• Hire a company that specializes in collegiate marketing. Many years ago, I worked with this company called “New Age Marketing”. In my humble opinion, they are the best in the business. Check them out…
http://www.collegiatepromotions.com/cpfeatured.html
You don’t have to create the viral networking buzz yourself… these guys will do it for you in the most cost effective manner.
One other thing that you may consider…
• Partnering with the School
Piggyback on the excitement around college sports events. Football game days at many schools─ Ohio State, Alabama and USC, for example─ are massive undertakings, attracting 100,000 fans to the stadium and thousands more to the surrounding neighborhood. Establishing an official promotional partnership can be expensive, but valuable. Your company could purchase ad space in the stadium. To capitalize on the opportunity without an official license… you must arrive on campus few hours before kickoff and engage the thousands of excited students walking around.
Enter into an agreement with the university to provide goods to students at a low cost. If they have your product in hand, they will learn to turn to you in the future. For example, according to Marguerite Reardon at Wired Magazine, Duke University spent $500,000 to purchase discounted Apple iPods in an attempt to assess their usefulness in higher education. Apple gave 1,650 Duke Freshmen the devices, helping the school and helping Apple expand its market share.
The College or recognized student groups occasionally invite vendors to fulfill particular campus objectives. The Director of Student Life must provide written approval to such vendors to grant exceptions to solicitation policies. Student groups must guarantee the availability of the products that their sponsored vendors sell. These sales must be cleared in writing in advance with the Director of Student Life, and when an athletic team is involved, with the Director of Athletics. No outside organization may proselytize, distribute, or sell products without direct sponsorship of a student organization recognized by the College Student Government or an administrative office.
Here’re some thoughts on doing the marketing to college students on your own…
• Colleges provide sellers with a captive audience full of hungry buyers. College campus advertisements are successful in reaching large numbers of people due to the dense population of students and staff that frequent campus buildings. There are a number of ways that you can effectively advertise on a college campus. By engaging in some creative ad placement, you can increase the success of your business and introduce your product to a whole new group of consumers.
• Print Marketing: Tailor your print marketing to the mindset present in most young people. Instead of putting together ads with lots of tiny words, spend a little extra money with the printer to ensure that your ads have striking images. Think about it; "got milk?" is only two words, but is an ad campaign everyone knows. If nothing else, include a link to your website to take advantage of the increasingly digital lifestyle of the student. Indeed, you should place the signs on outdoor billboards around campus. More important, post them on billboards inside, especially near administrative offices. Thousands of bored students stream past the registrar’s office, and your ad could catch their eye.
• Quad Posting Boards: Many colleges and universities feature a central posting board in their campus quad or other open area. This board contains flyers, student postings and campus event reminders. Advertise your product by placing a flyer on this message board amongst the other messages. Many students peruse this board regularly, so placing your flyer here will surely get you some views.
• Hire enthusiastic young people: to prowl the campus with flyers. Better yet, have them distribute free T-shirts with your product message in vivid colors. Young people are more likely to stop if another young person is flagging them down. Have your employees wear brightly colored T-shirts and make sure they are enthusiastic, above all else.
• Hire some students: to go around to dorms and put flyers up on bulletin boards or stuff mailboxes.
• Put an ad: in the school newspaper.
• Place an ad: on the college radio station.
• Send your flyers: to fraternities, sororities, athletic groups, etc… especially at school "party" times.
One thing that you must not do; is hire yet another “Director of Campus Marketing”… only to fire him/her a year or two later for lack of generating any tangible sales revenue.
Anant Goel
Showing posts with label Advertising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advertising. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Microvision: Initial Reviews of Laser PicoP Projector SHOWwx
On March 24th, Microvision launched its first laser PicoP projector SHOWwx for sale from its on-line store…
http://www.microvision.com/displayground/
Sales of this DVD quality and focus free laser projector have been quite brisk without any visible signs of advertising or promotional effort… indicating a broad based demand; from those that are aware of this pico projection as the emerging new technology that seems to have arrived in full bloom this spring.
I received my Limited Edition SHOWwx a few days ago and shared the pico projection experience with my friends, family and some total strangers.
Here’s my personal experience with Limited Edition SHOWwx…
The packaging is First Class, including a solid high quality 12x16" shiny black box that says "Image by PicoP" in silver letters. All the accessories are in their own quality boxes and they all rest on black grass like packing material. It also includes a Limited Edition SHOWwx Laser Pico Projector Certificate of Authenticity signed by Alexander Tokman… the CEO of Microvision. I was very impressed as to the very upscale quality of the packaging. It tells me that Microvision is a quality company with a quality product included in the box.
The metallic blue color SHOWwx was nicely packed compactly in its own compartment. A chrome plated insignia “SHOWwx Limited Edition” graced on the top half of the laser projector. I quickly read thru the few pages of instructions and safety manual to familiarize with the fine nuances of this feather weight machine that boasts of up to 100” projection display under certain ambient light conditions.
I inserted the battery in the SHOWwx as instructed in the manual and charged the battery for a few hours till the orange light turned green. When I first turned it on, it displayed my name in the lower right hand corner which was pretty cool. I walked around the house projecting various size images up and down the ceiling to walls to the hard wood floor. What an experience… feeling like a kid in the candy store! The highlight of this experience culminated in the fairly dark entertainment center in my finished basement.
Over 100” vivid color and focused image on the white wall just had one response from my 10 year old son… WOW!
One of the main usages that I had planned for SHOWwx was to watch streaming sports and You Tube videos. But, I still have not yet figured out how to enable the external monitor/projector on my HP Pavilion laptop. I tried the FN+F5 key combination the laptop instructions recommended; but that didn't work so I'll keep working on that.
The next thing I wanted to use SHOWwx was to hook it up to my portable DVD player and watch big screen movies in the entertainment center of the basement. Since my portable DVD player has 9" screen, it handles and travels well but I wanted a bigger screen to watch the movies. Surprisingly, even though SHOWwx comes with 4 different cables the one I needed was not included. So, I had to buy the proper male to male RCA video cable for $5 at the local Radio Shack
I hooked it up to my portable DVD player and found I had to press a switch that made my DVD screen go dark but produced a picture on the SHOWwx. The colors were bright and vivid and there were no green lines on the top or bottom of the screen when playing “Star Wars” on the DVD. The picture is certainly brighter when the screen size is 40” diagonal… but is still very sharp at 80” diagonal. Like most projectors the SHOWwx works best in a dimly lit or dark room… just like in a theater. The battery charge was good enough to last over 110 minute… before I had to go looking for the spare that came with the Limited Edition SHOWwx.
Paul Anderson did a very nice experiment with the SHOWwx battery run time that you should take a few minutes to look at…
http://mvisblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-showwx-experiment.html
Overall, I think it works great and the unit is so light you could easily carry it in a shirt pocket although mine came with a nice heavy duty carrying case with an "X" (for SHOWwx) on it that easily clips-on to your belt.
The only obvious improvement I would recommend; is to include an on-board SD memory card… for downloading and using digital content without having to attach SHOWwx to a host device.
With my personal experience set aside…
Initial reviews of SHOWwx and its projection image quality are coming-in from the first adopter users of the Limited Edition and the Commercial Edition product that was just recently shipped over the last few days.
If you are willing to accept the good with the bad, here’s a collection from a diverse group of people that have had a chance to look at the SHOWwx image projection in real life setting:
• “Tremendous product! This pico projection communicates the giddy excitement that awaits those who see and play with the PicoP for the first time. Such a bright, clear, colorful image from such a tiny device is hard to accept at first, as it contradicts one's prior experiences. Those guys were getting happy feet just like I did the first time I saw the PicoP in action. Microvision technology is going to OWN the high quality end of these emerging product categories.”
• “The projected image is from iPod Touch that has a resolution of 483 by 320 pixels. SHOWwx has a resolution of 848 by 480 pixels. If you liked the image at 483x320 pixels [iPod Touch] just imagine how awesome the image would look at 848x480 pixels.”
• “Even at the $549 launch price this product is amazing value and I for one will probably be buying several.”
• "...the amazing thing about this projector, it's not a shitty DLP or LCD based light engine... it's a scanning LASER!!!"
• "Because it's a beam of light from lasers it's always in focus, incredibly bright and the lasers have an immense lifetime..."
• "The Microvision laser projector seriously impresses me (and come on, you know how cynical I am!) but I'm not at all excited by those little DLP projectors that are just hitting the market... they are built on an old technology that isn't translating to the mobile world very well at all..."
• I have seen the videos of this product image. What I notice is so much better image quality in real life. It's worth mentioning a few facts:
1. Due to the slight difference between the refresh rate of video camera and the laser scan lines on the Microvision projector; the video image appears to flicker… which does not happen in "real life" and is a side-effect of recording projected image with a camera.
2. Most digital cameras don’t handle the low ambient light recording well and therefore don’t do the SHOWwx pico projector any favors... but the video images still look amazing!
• “Needless to say, I absolutely LOVE this product."
• "Yeah - Dad's mad about this, but I have to admit the demo was excellent. No focusing and a massive clear image created from a handset-sized device. Imagine sharing your images at a party on a wall...”
• “This unit outperforms the comparable Optoma unit and the actual projector is about 2/3rd of the size of an iPhone."
• “Those guys were stunned. I love to see the reaction of tech junkies like me.”
• “Just get me some big fat orders and I'll be happy.”… Obviously from someone who desperately wants to work for Microvision in the sales department.
• “You might mention that the flickering on the screen doesn't show when you're using the projector live. And yeah, I want one . . .”.
• “It is almost laughable now how the "green laser supply" issue has been blown out of all proportions by so many others. A serious public company with serious business doesn't require reading a bunch of tea leafs or put out a bunch of rumor fodder.”
• “Go back and look at all the posts for the last 8 years about how many "this is it" posts on a tea leaf reading have been pronounced and how many have come true?”
• “He could have been referring to a couple of large corporations with sales forces that have inquired about purchasing a number of units when available. However, I think they would want on-board memory so they can load-up a presentation without a second device hooked-up.”
• “Looks a lot better than the Pico Pocket Projector I reviewed a couple of months ago. Looking forward to buying SHOWwx with on-board memory in the near future!”
• “Brilliant! The fact that it's non-focus is the best part.”
• “… I think the SHOWWX is fantastic and everyone will want one when they find out about it.”
So there you have it, comments from those enamored with PicoP… those with inquisitive minds… and those who are skeptics.
Be careful with what you wish for!
Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/
http://www.microvision.com/displayground/
Sales of this DVD quality and focus free laser projector have been quite brisk without any visible signs of advertising or promotional effort… indicating a broad based demand; from those that are aware of this pico projection as the emerging new technology that seems to have arrived in full bloom this spring.
I received my Limited Edition SHOWwx a few days ago and shared the pico projection experience with my friends, family and some total strangers.
Here’s my personal experience with Limited Edition SHOWwx…
The packaging is First Class, including a solid high quality 12x16" shiny black box that says "Image by PicoP" in silver letters. All the accessories are in their own quality boxes and they all rest on black grass like packing material. It also includes a Limited Edition SHOWwx Laser Pico Projector Certificate of Authenticity signed by Alexander Tokman… the CEO of Microvision. I was very impressed as to the very upscale quality of the packaging. It tells me that Microvision is a quality company with a quality product included in the box.
The metallic blue color SHOWwx was nicely packed compactly in its own compartment. A chrome plated insignia “SHOWwx Limited Edition” graced on the top half of the laser projector. I quickly read thru the few pages of instructions and safety manual to familiarize with the fine nuances of this feather weight machine that boasts of up to 100” projection display under certain ambient light conditions.
I inserted the battery in the SHOWwx as instructed in the manual and charged the battery for a few hours till the orange light turned green. When I first turned it on, it displayed my name in the lower right hand corner which was pretty cool. I walked around the house projecting various size images up and down the ceiling to walls to the hard wood floor. What an experience… feeling like a kid in the candy store! The highlight of this experience culminated in the fairly dark entertainment center in my finished basement.
Over 100” vivid color and focused image on the white wall just had one response from my 10 year old son… WOW!
One of the main usages that I had planned for SHOWwx was to watch streaming sports and You Tube videos. But, I still have not yet figured out how to enable the external monitor/projector on my HP Pavilion laptop. I tried the FN+F5 key combination the laptop instructions recommended; but that didn't work so I'll keep working on that.
The next thing I wanted to use SHOWwx was to hook it up to my portable DVD player and watch big screen movies in the entertainment center of the basement. Since my portable DVD player has 9" screen, it handles and travels well but I wanted a bigger screen to watch the movies. Surprisingly, even though SHOWwx comes with 4 different cables the one I needed was not included. So, I had to buy the proper male to male RCA video cable for $5 at the local Radio Shack
I hooked it up to my portable DVD player and found I had to press a switch that made my DVD screen go dark but produced a picture on the SHOWwx. The colors were bright and vivid and there were no green lines on the top or bottom of the screen when playing “Star Wars” on the DVD. The picture is certainly brighter when the screen size is 40” diagonal… but is still very sharp at 80” diagonal. Like most projectors the SHOWwx works best in a dimly lit or dark room… just like in a theater. The battery charge was good enough to last over 110 minute… before I had to go looking for the spare that came with the Limited Edition SHOWwx.
Paul Anderson did a very nice experiment with the SHOWwx battery run time that you should take a few minutes to look at…
http://mvisblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-showwx-experiment.html
Overall, I think it works great and the unit is so light you could easily carry it in a shirt pocket although mine came with a nice heavy duty carrying case with an "X" (for SHOWwx) on it that easily clips-on to your belt.
The only obvious improvement I would recommend; is to include an on-board SD memory card… for downloading and using digital content without having to attach SHOWwx to a host device.
With my personal experience set aside…
Initial reviews of SHOWwx and its projection image quality are coming-in from the first adopter users of the Limited Edition and the Commercial Edition product that was just recently shipped over the last few days.
If you are willing to accept the good with the bad, here’s a collection from a diverse group of people that have had a chance to look at the SHOWwx image projection in real life setting:
• “Tremendous product! This pico projection communicates the giddy excitement that awaits those who see and play with the PicoP for the first time. Such a bright, clear, colorful image from such a tiny device is hard to accept at first, as it contradicts one's prior experiences. Those guys were getting happy feet just like I did the first time I saw the PicoP in action. Microvision technology is going to OWN the high quality end of these emerging product categories.”
• “The projected image is from iPod Touch that has a resolution of 483 by 320 pixels. SHOWwx has a resolution of 848 by 480 pixels. If you liked the image at 483x320 pixels [iPod Touch] just imagine how awesome the image would look at 848x480 pixels.”
• “Even at the $549 launch price this product is amazing value and I for one will probably be buying several.”
• "...the amazing thing about this projector, it's not a shitty DLP or LCD based light engine... it's a scanning LASER!!!"
• "Because it's a beam of light from lasers it's always in focus, incredibly bright and the lasers have an immense lifetime..."
• "The Microvision laser projector seriously impresses me (and come on, you know how cynical I am!) but I'm not at all excited by those little DLP projectors that are just hitting the market... they are built on an old technology that isn't translating to the mobile world very well at all..."
• I have seen the videos of this product image. What I notice is so much better image quality in real life. It's worth mentioning a few facts:
1. Due to the slight difference between the refresh rate of video camera and the laser scan lines on the Microvision projector; the video image appears to flicker… which does not happen in "real life" and is a side-effect of recording projected image with a camera.
2. Most digital cameras don’t handle the low ambient light recording well and therefore don’t do the SHOWwx pico projector any favors... but the video images still look amazing!
• “Needless to say, I absolutely LOVE this product."
• "Yeah - Dad's mad about this, but I have to admit the demo was excellent. No focusing and a massive clear image created from a handset-sized device. Imagine sharing your images at a party on a wall...”
• “This unit outperforms the comparable Optoma unit and the actual projector is about 2/3rd of the size of an iPhone."
• “Those guys were stunned. I love to see the reaction of tech junkies like me.”
• “Just get me some big fat orders and I'll be happy.”… Obviously from someone who desperately wants to work for Microvision in the sales department.
• “You might mention that the flickering on the screen doesn't show when you're using the projector live. And yeah, I want one . . .”.
• “It is almost laughable now how the "green laser supply" issue has been blown out of all proportions by so many others. A serious public company with serious business doesn't require reading a bunch of tea leafs or put out a bunch of rumor fodder.”
• “Go back and look at all the posts for the last 8 years about how many "this is it" posts on a tea leaf reading have been pronounced and how many have come true?”
• “He could have been referring to a couple of large corporations with sales forces that have inquired about purchasing a number of units when available. However, I think they would want on-board memory so they can load-up a presentation without a second device hooked-up.”
• “Looks a lot better than the Pico Pocket Projector I reviewed a couple of months ago. Looking forward to buying SHOWwx with on-board memory in the near future!”
• “Brilliant! The fact that it's non-focus is the best part.”
• “… I think the SHOWWX is fantastic and everyone will want one when they find out about it.”
So there you have it, comments from those enamored with PicoP… those with inquisitive minds… and those who are skeptics.
Be careful with what you wish for!
Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Microvision: Pico Projector Commercial Ads
While reading news from this morning about Microvision’s pricing of 3.3 million additional shares, I ran into this article…
Microvision release range of Pico-projector Ads for SHOWwx
By Ben Robinson on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 2:23 PM PST In Accessories, The Digital Life
Microvision, which is a company that makes Pico-projectors, has released a series of Ads for it’s Show WX product on YouTube , covering a wide variety of social situations – even including two ladies who are out on the town!
In case you are thinking ‘WTF?’, Pico-projectors are portable projector units, that are touted as being the next big thing in Mobile – literally INside them! I’m not so sure if that’s going to happen on a wider scale as it bulks out the mobile device – but I can definitely see the allure of a small projector, IF it produces good quality. Microvision is one of the leaders in that field.
But enough of that – let’s check out some Ads – one embed below, and then some links for you:
Continues with links to five ads…
http://www.intomobile.com/2009/11/26/microvision-release-range-of-pico-projector-ads-for-show-wx.html
I looked at those ads and my first reaction was: “these are over two years old and someone should really take them off the air… they are so cheesee and silly”.
I’m not the only one with those thoughts. Here’re some more comments that I have gathered to share with you…
• I hope the quality of creative is not typical of future efforts. Pretty weak, I think, and don’t do justice to the product. Better this than nothing? I'm not sure about that.
• These ads are maybe 2 years old with old prototype of MVIS pico projector...
• I would hope that someone would remove these; they do not do justice to the current SHOWwx. They are filled with wrong information, even to the simple eye.
• Elevator Pitch @ 30 seconds ShowWX he is pointing downward, @ 36-38 seconds his device is in color and the presentation is in Black/White, and the best for last @ 40-41 seconds look at the ShowWX he is holding it backwards with the cable coming out of the top. This very edited stuff and really should not be here.
• They are concept videos. Not intended to be 'real'. Thought that was obvious.
• "...Thought that was obvious..." With a date of 26 November 2009 and the statement "Microvision has made 5 new pico projector ads", why would it be obvious?
• Obviously mediocre, I agree, but "concept videos" don't have to be mediocre, just unpolished. What's more, I've been following Microvision closely for well over two years and this is the first time I've seen them. Still, thanks to invinonveritas for explaining that the videos are, in fact, dated material; that's reassuring to know but less reassuring is the fact that they're still out there posing as current ads, "concept" or otherwise.
• But the statement is in error. These are old videos that were posted to the Microvision about 2 years or so ago. The fake nature of the samples is clear to me - sorry, but if you can't spot cheap special effects, that's not something anyone but you can change.
• "The fake nature of the samples is clear to me." They are not fakes at all. They're just bad, a fact which is not in dispute. If they're old too, that doesn't detract from the fact that they're bad, and that Microvision, if it chooses to promote itself in such a manner in the future, had better do much better. Just as I could have done better by making a portion of its so-called "public" offering available to existing retail investors.
• http://www.microvision.com/pico_projector_displays/application_scenarios.html
Thought I posted this earlier, but it does not appear to have arrived.
• FWIW, I can second that the "new" videos are old as I remember watching them on the MVIS website over a year ago, and don't know how much longer they could have been on the site before I had found them.
• These videos should be taken-off the air.
• No man down under like this stuff.
• I will admit, that pisses me off watching that....damn it Microvision.
Here’s what I summarize, after having read dozens of comments…
“Take out the drama and just focus on mobility, physical size, image size, image resolution and quality, vivid colors, brightness of laser light source, focus feature, the low power usage, fast refresh rates, 8 point font text readability, short throw ratio [like watching movies on the ceiling], no heat, long laser life and contrast ratio.”
In other words, you can use all the various settings and scenarios… but focus on the features… with emphasis on those features that differentiate your product from the competition.
We know what lamp based projectors are all about and what their applications, benefits, features and limitations are? To embrace the pico projectors to our list of gadgets that enhance mobility is a relatively small leap of vision… since we already know all about bulky projectors. It’s like going from desktop PC to the notebook PC… where the notebook PC opens-up a whole lot of applications and possibilities. Besides, for over a year now, the pico projectors from TI/DLP and 3M/LcoS have been on the market selling from dozens of retail outlets.
You don’t need to spend money or commercial time, to educate the consumer on the benefits and possible applications of pico projectors. Consumer is well aware of the projectors and understands the mobility feature of pico projectors quite well. Besides, competition has been educating the consumer for over a year now. Just because SHOWwx pico projectors is not yet released in the market place does not mean pico projectors don’t exist.
So, please cut the drama and get to the benefits and features… using the various settings and scenarios to accentuate the differentiating features. This way, you will not only get your message across in the least amount of commercial time, but also the consumer will remember the enhanced features of SHOWwx by associating them to the various real life situations and settings.
These five SHOWwx commercials as mentioned here─ and at the Microvision web site are childish, boring, overbearing and done in a very amateurish manner.
Not something that you would expect from a world class company.
Here’s an example of a professionally done pico projector commercial that gets the message out loud and clear… neat… clean… no drama… no spoon feeding… all facts and a lot left to the imagination.
Click on the YouTube streaming video at the bottom of the article…
http://www.notebooks.com/2009/11/30/take-a-pico-at-these-portable-pico-projectors/
Cinemin Swivel got it right... I have to admit.
Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/
Microvision release range of Pico-projector Ads for SHOWwx
By Ben Robinson on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 2:23 PM PST In Accessories, The Digital Life
Microvision, which is a company that makes Pico-projectors, has released a series of Ads for it’s Show WX product on YouTube , covering a wide variety of social situations – even including two ladies who are out on the town!
In case you are thinking ‘WTF?’, Pico-projectors are portable projector units, that are touted as being the next big thing in Mobile – literally INside them! I’m not so sure if that’s going to happen on a wider scale as it bulks out the mobile device – but I can definitely see the allure of a small projector, IF it produces good quality. Microvision is one of the leaders in that field.
But enough of that – let’s check out some Ads – one embed below, and then some links for you:
Continues with links to five ads…
*****
Here’s the link…http://www.intomobile.com/2009/11/26/microvision-release-range-of-pico-projector-ads-for-show-wx.html
I looked at those ads and my first reaction was: “these are over two years old and someone should really take them off the air… they are so cheesee and silly”.
I’m not the only one with those thoughts. Here’re some more comments that I have gathered to share with you…
• I hope the quality of creative is not typical of future efforts. Pretty weak, I think, and don’t do justice to the product. Better this than nothing? I'm not sure about that.
• These ads are maybe 2 years old with old prototype of MVIS pico projector...
• I would hope that someone would remove these; they do not do justice to the current SHOWwx. They are filled with wrong information, even to the simple eye.
• Elevator Pitch @ 30 seconds ShowWX he is pointing downward, @ 36-38 seconds his device is in color and the presentation is in Black/White, and the best for last @ 40-41 seconds look at the ShowWX he is holding it backwards with the cable coming out of the top. This very edited stuff and really should not be here.
• They are concept videos. Not intended to be 'real'. Thought that was obvious.
• "...Thought that was obvious..." With a date of 26 November 2009 and the statement "Microvision has made 5 new pico projector ads", why would it be obvious?
• Obviously mediocre, I agree, but "concept videos" don't have to be mediocre, just unpolished. What's more, I've been following Microvision closely for well over two years and this is the first time I've seen them. Still, thanks to invinonveritas for explaining that the videos are, in fact, dated material; that's reassuring to know but less reassuring is the fact that they're still out there posing as current ads, "concept" or otherwise.
• But the statement is in error. These are old videos that were posted to the Microvision about 2 years or so ago. The fake nature of the samples is clear to me - sorry, but if you can't spot cheap special effects, that's not something anyone but you can change.
• "The fake nature of the samples is clear to me." They are not fakes at all. They're just bad, a fact which is not in dispute. If they're old too, that doesn't detract from the fact that they're bad, and that Microvision, if it chooses to promote itself in such a manner in the future, had better do much better. Just as I could have done better by making a portion of its so-called "public" offering available to existing retail investors.
• http://www.microvision.com/pico_projector_displays/application_scenarios.html
Thought I posted this earlier, but it does not appear to have arrived.
• FWIW, I can second that the "new" videos are old as I remember watching them on the MVIS website over a year ago, and don't know how much longer they could have been on the site before I had found them.
• These videos should be taken-off the air.
• No man down under like this stuff.
• I will admit, that pisses me off watching that....damn it Microvision.
Here’s what I summarize, after having read dozens of comments…
“Take out the drama and just focus on mobility, physical size, image size, image resolution and quality, vivid colors, brightness of laser light source, focus feature, the low power usage, fast refresh rates, 8 point font text readability, short throw ratio [like watching movies on the ceiling], no heat, long laser life and contrast ratio.”
In other words, you can use all the various settings and scenarios… but focus on the features… with emphasis on those features that differentiate your product from the competition.
We know what lamp based projectors are all about and what their applications, benefits, features and limitations are? To embrace the pico projectors to our list of gadgets that enhance mobility is a relatively small leap of vision… since we already know all about bulky projectors. It’s like going from desktop PC to the notebook PC… where the notebook PC opens-up a whole lot of applications and possibilities. Besides, for over a year now, the pico projectors from TI/DLP and 3M/LcoS have been on the market selling from dozens of retail outlets.
You don’t need to spend money or commercial time, to educate the consumer on the benefits and possible applications of pico projectors. Consumer is well aware of the projectors and understands the mobility feature of pico projectors quite well. Besides, competition has been educating the consumer for over a year now. Just because SHOWwx pico projectors is not yet released in the market place does not mean pico projectors don’t exist.
So, please cut the drama and get to the benefits and features… using the various settings and scenarios to accentuate the differentiating features. This way, you will not only get your message across in the least amount of commercial time, but also the consumer will remember the enhanced features of SHOWwx by associating them to the various real life situations and settings.
These five SHOWwx commercials as mentioned here─ and at the Microvision web site are childish, boring, overbearing and done in a very amateurish manner.
Not something that you would expect from a world class company.
Here’s an example of a professionally done pico projector commercial that gets the message out loud and clear… neat… clean… no drama… no spoon feeding… all facts and a lot left to the imagination.
Click on the YouTube streaming video at the bottom of the article…
http://www.notebooks.com/2009/11/30/take-a-pico-at-these-portable-pico-projectors/
Cinemin Swivel got it right... I have to admit.
Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Microvision: What’s Your Mass Consumer Product Strategy?
Finally, on September 30th, Microvision announced its first purchase order and shipment of its long waited PicoP projector… a consumer product named SHOWwx.
Late by a few months from the original─ self-imposed─ launch schedule, the final consumer product, all wrapped and tied, left the loading dock destined for the far away lands of Asia… the home of Microvision’s first Asian Marketing and Distribution partner.
Interestingly, some of you may have caught another tit bit of news from the October 2nd blog post, by Matt Nichols of Microvision, at the company’s official blog site The Displayland.
Yes, Virginia we have some European distribution also coming on board shortly…
Here’s what Matt Nichols said…
“This is what I can tell you. Our very first shipments have already gone to Asia, as we are currently focused on fulfilling the first orders and shipments through our recently announced Asian distribution partner. We’ve also announced that we’ve signed marketing & distribution agreements in Europe. We can’t tell you the specific details yet as our partners first want to manage their product launch communication plans. When the details do become public, if you live in the geographic areas that the first shipments are available you might be able to scoop up some… “
Here’s the link for those interested in reading the full post…
http://www.microvision.com/displayground/
[The one you want is titled… “Launch, ship…and ‘when can I get a SHOWwx?]
In summary, the purchase orders are in and the product is finally going out to land in the hands of consumers. And that raises the next question in our minds… the stakeholders [investors, partners, and consumers] of Microvision.
Microvision: What’s Your Consumer Product Strategy?
I’m sure Microvision has one in place and there is ample evidence of how well it has worked so far. The term “Consumer Product Strategy” may mean different things to each one of us and may even depend on who “devised” it who will “manage” it. What’s important to the stakeholders, however, is what it means to the creator and the implementer… Microvision?
So, why not we just ask them in a polite and consultative manner?
We will just do that, and here we go…
Gentlemen:
Consumer Electronics (CE) companies in the US last year lost $14 billion in re-box, re-stock and re-sell the returned items eroding the industries ability to attract and the retain loyal customers. Quite a high price to pay… for a problem that has a solution.
In May 2008, The Wall Street Journal reported that 11%-20% of all electronics goods were returned. The top reason…
The products “didn’t meet expectations.”
This becomes especially distressing given the current decrease in spending on consumer electronics. Data from MasterCard Advisor’s retail service showed holiday sales for this sector plummeted 26% from 2007. To survive the market shifts long-term, CE companies like Microvision need to view this extraordinarily challenging period as an opportunity to innovate, to fix what is already considered broken, and revamp their business strategies… specially for introducing mass consumer products on a global basis. It’ll take a lot more than blanketing the media with clever ads.
In all probability, Microvision has a great mass consumer product marketing strategy… and is doing all the right things. However, as Microvision is not in the market with any of its PicoP products, it is not easy to gauge its mass consumer product strategy. Since the paint is still not dry, here are four recommendations to consider…
Know your customer in product design:
The problem at the heart of the industry today is that most CE companies still design for their original, early adopter geek audience. Tech geeks drove the development of the CE industry when it was new and there was a steep adoption curve. But, now that grade school students and hockey moms carry iPhones, consult their GPS for driving directions, and bank online, Microvision needs to do more than rely on consumer curiosity to stay alive. The digital lifestyle is no longer one-size-fits-all, and today’s impatient and fickle mass consumer expects more than the complicated, unsatisfying out-of-the box experiences that have become an industry norm lately.
Create a 360-degree experience for the consumer:
Your PicoP display brands [SHOWwx or embedded] need to match the right product to the right consumers and then connect with them meaningfully at every point of contact. The “360-degree experience” includes everything from packaging, design, and marketing, distribution to after-market support… including programs to help customers discover product benefits, end-of life recycling programs, and user support executed with the care of a concierge service, rather than with the complication and delay of an overwrought bureaucracy.
I wish there was another example besides Apple to demonstrate a successful 360-degree experience, but Apple nails it every time. They do not try to be everything to everybody. Packaging is elegant. The product is beautifully designed. Set-up is simple. Support is available… with room for some improvement here. Messaging is consistent and clear at every touch point.
Pick the right distribution channel:
Market research has revealed that consumers are overwhelmed and confused at retail stores like Circuit City… no doubt a contributing factor in its recent bankruptcy filing. People they tracked on “shop-along” research trips found it impossible to discern the meaningful difference between, say, a $40 mouse and a $70 one, let alone penetrate the chaos that is the flat-screen TV section. Navigating the many dozens of options marketed with buzzwords like “plasma,” “digital,” or “720p LCD” was daunting, and many potential customers left the store without making a purchase. So the industry can add “loss of sale” to their return losses as well.
Research shows that shoppers frequently visit manufacturer Web sites for information… but rarely make the purchase decision based solely on that information. They used third party sources such as CNET, customer reviews on Amazon or the advice of their peers before making the buying decision. It’s no surprise, then, that there is little-to-no brand loyalty. Except, of course, for Apple who has succeeded in translating geek-speak, like “120GB,” to terms anyone can understand, like “30,000 songs.” The CE industry needs to stop talking tech-speak and start speaking in terms that mean something to the rest of us consumers.
If Microvision is marketing the PicoP display engine to OEMs, its distribution channel choice is obviously the partnered OEMs. However, if Microvision is also considering the introduction of a Stand Alone accessory PicoP projector [SHOWwx] on its own, it needs to seriously evaluate its choice for distribution channel(s) selected… for the consumer product for the mass market. Each distribution channel has its unique pros and cons and requires an extensive study that is beyond the scope of this post. However, the most important features involve the optimization of the following desirables…
• Cash flow and margins… credit card sales from company [and affiliate] web sites provides advance cash payment [and better margins] as against 30-day delayed accounts receivables from distributors and retailers. As an Amazon drop-ship retailer the company can have the best of all scenarios…
• on-line retailing power and credibility of Amazon
• customer reviews on Amazon
• better margins for the company
• advanced credit card payment to the company
• control over customer service and support
• and consistent and clear messaging to the mass consumers.
• Push marketing… company [and affiliate] web sites─ coupled with e-mail campaigning─ is much more effective in the introductory phase push marketing than distributors and retailers. However, the distributors and retailers do give you the benefit of “baptized” by quick “immersion” effect.
• Pull marketing… third party review sources [like CNET] and retailers [like Amazon] are much more effective in advance stage pull marketing than distributors and retailers.
• Customer support & service… distributors [like Ingram Micro] and retailers [like Circuit City] are not really known for the type of customer service and support that is conducive to customer loyalty or customer satisfaction. RMAs, re-stocking and re-selling is an expensive process due to mishandling and neglect.
• Consistent and clear messaging… company web site(s), company direct marketing, affiliate web sites and retailer Amazon web site allow the company better control over consistent and clear messaging to the mass consumers.
Tell Your Customer the Truth:
If your products do make it to the customer home, many don’t make it past the out-of-box experience. Not everyone is an early adopter with an appetite (or tolerance) for splashing around a sea of tech-speak to deal with hours-long product set-up guided by confounding directions, little-to-no customer support, and lots and lots of wires.
The Magellan GPS navigation system, for example, begins with a jumble of parts. Setup requires about half a day. Mac users learn late in the process that setup requires a PC. Meanwhile, the “Roomba” robot cleaner packaging promises it will “clean routinely so you don’t have to.” The Roomba itself, however, requires cleaning and maintenance after each use, making it more suitable for the gadget freaks who love to endlessly tweak their technology than the suburban housewife to whom it is marketed, who’s looking for hassle-free cleaning convenience.
I’ll get back to you as soon as I realize that you are still awake or I have missed any more pointers.
Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/
Late by a few months from the original─ self-imposed─ launch schedule, the final consumer product, all wrapped and tied, left the loading dock destined for the far away lands of Asia… the home of Microvision’s first Asian Marketing and Distribution partner.
Interestingly, some of you may have caught another tit bit of news from the October 2nd blog post, by Matt Nichols of Microvision, at the company’s official blog site The Displayland.
Yes, Virginia we have some European distribution also coming on board shortly…
Here’s what Matt Nichols said…
“This is what I can tell you. Our very first shipments have already gone to Asia, as we are currently focused on fulfilling the first orders and shipments through our recently announced Asian distribution partner. We’ve also announced that we’ve signed marketing & distribution agreements in Europe. We can’t tell you the specific details yet as our partners first want to manage their product launch communication plans. When the details do become public, if you live in the geographic areas that the first shipments are available you might be able to scoop up some… “
Here’s the link for those interested in reading the full post…
http://www.microvision.com/displayground/
[The one you want is titled… “Launch, ship…and ‘when can I get a SHOWwx?]
In summary, the purchase orders are in and the product is finally going out to land in the hands of consumers. And that raises the next question in our minds… the stakeholders [investors, partners, and consumers] of Microvision.
Microvision: What’s Your Consumer Product Strategy?
I’m sure Microvision has one in place and there is ample evidence of how well it has worked so far. The term “Consumer Product Strategy” may mean different things to each one of us and may even depend on who “devised” it who will “manage” it. What’s important to the stakeholders, however, is what it means to the creator and the implementer… Microvision?
So, why not we just ask them in a polite and consultative manner?
We will just do that, and here we go…
Gentlemen:
Consumer Electronics (CE) companies in the US last year lost $14 billion in re-box, re-stock and re-sell the returned items eroding the industries ability to attract and the retain loyal customers. Quite a high price to pay… for a problem that has a solution.
In May 2008, The Wall Street Journal reported that 11%-20% of all electronics goods were returned. The top reason…
The products “didn’t meet expectations.”
This becomes especially distressing given the current decrease in spending on consumer electronics. Data from MasterCard Advisor’s retail service showed holiday sales for this sector plummeted 26% from 2007. To survive the market shifts long-term, CE companies like Microvision need to view this extraordinarily challenging period as an opportunity to innovate, to fix what is already considered broken, and revamp their business strategies… specially for introducing mass consumer products on a global basis. It’ll take a lot more than blanketing the media with clever ads.
In all probability, Microvision has a great mass consumer product marketing strategy… and is doing all the right things. However, as Microvision is not in the market with any of its PicoP products, it is not easy to gauge its mass consumer product strategy. Since the paint is still not dry, here are four recommendations to consider…
Know your customer in product design:
The problem at the heart of the industry today is that most CE companies still design for their original, early adopter geek audience. Tech geeks drove the development of the CE industry when it was new and there was a steep adoption curve. But, now that grade school students and hockey moms carry iPhones, consult their GPS for driving directions, and bank online, Microvision needs to do more than rely on consumer curiosity to stay alive. The digital lifestyle is no longer one-size-fits-all, and today’s impatient and fickle mass consumer expects more than the complicated, unsatisfying out-of-the box experiences that have become an industry norm lately.
Create a 360-degree experience for the consumer:
Your PicoP display brands [SHOWwx or embedded] need to match the right product to the right consumers and then connect with them meaningfully at every point of contact. The “360-degree experience” includes everything from packaging, design, and marketing, distribution to after-market support… including programs to help customers discover product benefits, end-of life recycling programs, and user support executed with the care of a concierge service, rather than with the complication and delay of an overwrought bureaucracy.
I wish there was another example besides Apple to demonstrate a successful 360-degree experience, but Apple nails it every time. They do not try to be everything to everybody. Packaging is elegant. The product is beautifully designed. Set-up is simple. Support is available… with room for some improvement here. Messaging is consistent and clear at every touch point.
Pick the right distribution channel:
Market research has revealed that consumers are overwhelmed and confused at retail stores like Circuit City… no doubt a contributing factor in its recent bankruptcy filing. People they tracked on “shop-along” research trips found it impossible to discern the meaningful difference between, say, a $40 mouse and a $70 one, let alone penetrate the chaos that is the flat-screen TV section. Navigating the many dozens of options marketed with buzzwords like “plasma,” “digital,” or “720p LCD” was daunting, and many potential customers left the store without making a purchase. So the industry can add “loss of sale” to their return losses as well.
Research shows that shoppers frequently visit manufacturer Web sites for information… but rarely make the purchase decision based solely on that information. They used third party sources such as CNET, customer reviews on Amazon or the advice of their peers before making the buying decision. It’s no surprise, then, that there is little-to-no brand loyalty. Except, of course, for Apple who has succeeded in translating geek-speak, like “120GB,” to terms anyone can understand, like “30,000 songs.” The CE industry needs to stop talking tech-speak and start speaking in terms that mean something to the rest of us consumers.
If Microvision is marketing the PicoP display engine to OEMs, its distribution channel choice is obviously the partnered OEMs. However, if Microvision is also considering the introduction of a Stand Alone accessory PicoP projector [SHOWwx] on its own, it needs to seriously evaluate its choice for distribution channel(s) selected… for the consumer product for the mass market. Each distribution channel has its unique pros and cons and requires an extensive study that is beyond the scope of this post. However, the most important features involve the optimization of the following desirables…
• Cash flow and margins… credit card sales from company [and affiliate] web sites provides advance cash payment [and better margins] as against 30-day delayed accounts receivables from distributors and retailers. As an Amazon drop-ship retailer the company can have the best of all scenarios…
• on-line retailing power and credibility of Amazon
• customer reviews on Amazon
• better margins for the company
• advanced credit card payment to the company
• control over customer service and support
• and consistent and clear messaging to the mass consumers.
• Push marketing… company [and affiliate] web sites─ coupled with e-mail campaigning─ is much more effective in the introductory phase push marketing than distributors and retailers. However, the distributors and retailers do give you the benefit of “baptized” by quick “immersion” effect.
• Pull marketing… third party review sources [like CNET] and retailers [like Amazon] are much more effective in advance stage pull marketing than distributors and retailers.
• Customer support & service… distributors [like Ingram Micro] and retailers [like Circuit City] are not really known for the type of customer service and support that is conducive to customer loyalty or customer satisfaction. RMAs, re-stocking and re-selling is an expensive process due to mishandling and neglect.
• Consistent and clear messaging… company web site(s), company direct marketing, affiliate web sites and retailer Amazon web site allow the company better control over consistent and clear messaging to the mass consumers.
Tell Your Customer the Truth:
If your products do make it to the customer home, many don’t make it past the out-of-box experience. Not everyone is an early adopter with an appetite (or tolerance) for splashing around a sea of tech-speak to deal with hours-long product set-up guided by confounding directions, little-to-no customer support, and lots and lots of wires.
The Magellan GPS navigation system, for example, begins with a jumble of parts. Setup requires about half a day. Mac users learn late in the process that setup requires a PC. Meanwhile, the “Roomba” robot cleaner packaging promises it will “clean routinely so you don’t have to.” The Roomba itself, however, requires cleaning and maintenance after each use, making it more suitable for the gadget freaks who love to endlessly tweak their technology than the suburban housewife to whom it is marketed, who’s looking for hassle-free cleaning convenience.
"You must clearly communicate what your products do, what they are all about and who they are intended for."Well, that’s all she wrote today.
I’ll get back to you as soon as I realize that you are still awake or I have missed any more pointers.
Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Report: Microvision Held their Annual Shareholders Meeting on September 15th, 2009.
I wasn’t there at the Annual Shareholders Meeting. However, there were some folks that I know who attended the ASM meeting. In a summary form and after having resolved the contradicting statements of these participants, this is what they had to say in essence…
• Actually it was quite a good annual meeting and was well attended.
• We were impressed with the PicoP projectors on display. The image has really been cleaned up substantially and looked quite good….very much a real product.
• They had units connected to a variety of things like iPods, iPhones and some laptops… each demonstrating the ease of use, direct downloads from the internet etc. There were some questions about Apple. Our take on Alex T’s answer was something like: “Apple World loves us and we have to be ready… I just ask you that you be patient.” In all probability, Microvision is in talks with “Apple”, however, there isn’t enough unit volume of PicoP display engines for Apple’s appetite at this time to be engaged officially.
• Finally an annual meeting with some smiles all around. Was that due to the very funny and light hearted video being projected… hard to differentiate. However, the mood was very upbeat and reassuring.
• PicoP display engine units will begin shipping about, as Alex said, in the next few weeks and the three (3) customers they have contracts with will be announced in something like the same time period, plus or minus.
• Obviously units between now and the end of this year are going to be scarce and how they are allocated is still being worked out.
• They [Microvision] tried hard to get names [of the 3 customers] for the press release but it just wasn’t possible to make the deadline. But the names should be decent.
• All in all, you have to call it a very constructive meeting and somebody else must have thought so too… given the action of the stock and the volume today.
• We are sure there are lots of comments out there and maybe some different opinions, but we think the ship is moving and finally leaving the port for uncharted waters of PicoP Ubiquity. It will take a while to pick up speed, because of shortage of light sources, but we should see improving news going forward on a reasonably regular basis.
There were a whole lot of other comments with different flavoring to the less critical questions and the following is my take on that…
• Much of what used to be called speckle in the image turned out to be electronic interference and has been eliminated with the latest version of the chips.
• Image quality is much better than what it was before…
• The Press Release from this morning states…
• Is it good news or bad news? In our opinion, this news is good. How great the news? That is debatable based on who is looking at it… and what investment horizon they have in their mind?
• Finally, after years of waiting for Green Lasers from its supply chain partners, Microvison today announced the long waited laser PicoP Projector for a market that consists of over 2 billion digital devices yearly as potential candidates for adoption.
• To those in the know, it means the Green Laser from Corning and Osram have reached the phase 2 optimum level of 100mw or higher, ASICs are functioning beyond the design expectations in reducing noise and speckle… there are no technological issues with the Green Lasers… and production is ramping-up nicely
• “Depending on the ambient light, the projected images range in size from 12” to 150”.” To us, this means the brightness of the images has improved to higher levels where 150” diagonal image projection is now possible in certain ambient light condition? If that is indeed the case, as I suspect it is, then it certainly makes it more appealing to the consumer that is looking for HD image experience in large screen format… and at miniscule energy consumption of a laser based projection technology that is always in focus.
• “Microvision expects to begin product shipments in the next several weeks.” Some may consider this announcement as another delay and will be disappointed. But the truth is, and perhaps a revelation of these folks ignorance, that a high-tech product is much more complex and requires two steps to a successful “product launch”… just like Corning did with their Green Laser G-1000. Corning launched their Green Laser G-1000 in May 2008… but did not sign an agreement with Microvision until May 2009.
• What was announced to-day is called “initial product launch”? Microvision has just finished the first part [product development] of a eight part high-tech product marketing and product launch strategy. Launching a high-tech product like SHOWwx is more complex and requires many a “ducks” to get in line… as compared to launching a mass produced consumer product like a “cereal” or “energy drink”.
Just because the product─ PicoP display engine and the SWOWwx─ is ready doesn’t mean there are no more challenges and hurdles that need resolving. Here’s the list of challenges still facing this company and that’s what, in my humble opinion, may still take a few weeks at least to resolve...
• Intellectual Property: You must file your patents and secure your invention records [as proof] to protect your intellectual property. Once the product is launched and is in the hands of your competitors [and pirates] you are sure to invite those who will reverse engineer [and infringe upon your rights] to copy your product… and steal your best employees.
• Product: This is the most important part of your entire marketing campaign. Without a great product you don't really have much to work with. For this reason you have to make sure that you have got your market research right. It is very important to make sure that you have met all the requirements that a consumer would want in the product you are offering. You need to make sure that all your products are of great quality and that can be relied on as well… and achieve the trust of your customers. The product you are offering will be the so called first impression on your company's reputation. For this reason it is very important that you get everything right. The main goal in terms of your products is to meet or exceed your customer's expectations.
• Supply Chain: Most high-tech products have several supply chain partners. In case of a mass produced product, such as PicoP display engine, all supply chain “ducks” must fall in-line, and kept in-line, to assure volume production and consistent quality over long periods of time… day-in day-out.
• Product Price: This is also quite an important factor in more terms that one. Seeing that you will be competing against other competitors, you have to make sure that you offer a price that will make customers want to come and buy your product instead. Don't just price your product out of thin air. Make sure you do your market research and based on the quality and benefits of your product, price your product [both OEM or branded] accordingly. When the production volumes are low, as is the case with PicoP display engines right now, consider offering differentiated value for premium prices.
• Packaging: The packaging of your product is also like the first impression of what you have to offer. You need to make sure that your packaging is both attractive and safe. Safe in the sense that it provides adequate protection to the product it is holding. Unless you have an attractive packaging, you won't be able to attract possible customers.
• Sales Channels: This is one of the most important factors when it comes to the actual launch of the product. You need to decide on the perfect location, or distribution channel, or a combination that will allow you to maximize the possible customers, maximize margins, optimize sales channel cost, and leverage & network human and financial resources.
The Company plans to distribute its accessory pico projector product through three sales channels: OEM branded products, Microvision branded products sold through international distributors and Microvision direct sales through its on-line store. Microvision has signed several marketing and distribution agreements with international distributors in Asia and Europe to launch Microvision branded and private labeled versions of the laser pico projector.
• Warranty, Service & Support: Offer realistic warranty that leverages the reliability features of your product as differentiated value and have the “service & support” infrastructure in-place before launching your product.
• Promotion: This has a key role in advertising and the launch of the product itself. You need to carefully decide on the approach that you will promote your product in comparison to your other competitors.
A good number of Microvision investors continue to demonstrate that they have no clue as to what it takes to bring a disruptive high-tech product to the consumer. As early as this morning, there were those who were throwing temper tantrums because their “self created” company milestones were not met. Someone very eloquently said: “Alex is not some used car salesman trying to rip people off.” He’s the real deal. Based on his (Alex Tokman - CEO) comments and the way he expressed himself, he sincerely believed that December 2008 stretch goal could have been met… if Corning did not get ahead of itself in projecting green laser availability.
Alex T seems to have learned from this and is being very careful about sharing his expectations for HUD, Eyewear, HD PicoP display engine, and future volume projections to the investor community. He said the final targets will really depend on the manufacturer’s [OEMs] timeframe and would probably occur in the late 2010 to 2011 timeframe. It’s difficult to say since all of their resources are primarily being focused on SHOWwx.
At any rate, I’m fully comfortable with Microvision shipping the pre-launched products in “the next several weeks”. Microvision ship is leaving port and moving into uncharted waters of "Image by PicoP" ubiquity and the next five years will be very interesting for sure.
Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/
• Actually it was quite a good annual meeting and was well attended.
• We were impressed with the PicoP projectors on display. The image has really been cleaned up substantially and looked quite good….very much a real product.
• They had units connected to a variety of things like iPods, iPhones and some laptops… each demonstrating the ease of use, direct downloads from the internet etc. There were some questions about Apple. Our take on Alex T’s answer was something like: “Apple World loves us and we have to be ready… I just ask you that you be patient.” In all probability, Microvision is in talks with “Apple”, however, there isn’t enough unit volume of PicoP display engines for Apple’s appetite at this time to be engaged officially.
• Finally an annual meeting with some smiles all around. Was that due to the very funny and light hearted video being projected… hard to differentiate. However, the mood was very upbeat and reassuring.
• PicoP display engine units will begin shipping about, as Alex said, in the next few weeks and the three (3) customers they have contracts with will be announced in something like the same time period, plus or minus.
• Obviously units between now and the end of this year are going to be scarce and how they are allocated is still being worked out.
• They [Microvision] tried hard to get names [of the 3 customers] for the press release but it just wasn’t possible to make the deadline. But the names should be decent.
• All in all, you have to call it a very constructive meeting and somebody else must have thought so too… given the action of the stock and the volume today.
• We are sure there are lots of comments out there and maybe some different opinions, but we think the ship is moving and finally leaving the port for uncharted waters of PicoP Ubiquity. It will take a while to pick up speed, because of shortage of light sources, but we should see improving news going forward on a reasonably regular basis.
There were a whole lot of other comments with different flavoring to the less critical questions and the following is my take on that…
• Much of what used to be called speckle in the image turned out to be electronic interference and has been eliminated with the latest version of the chips.
• Image quality is much better than what it was before…
http://www.microvision.com/displayground...• The news from ASM is good… but tempered by the fact that GL light source supply [from both Corning and Osram] is still a very big issue and Microvision will not really get a handle on that until some time in November or so.
• The Press Release from this morning states…
“Microvision Announces Commercial Launch of SHOW WX Laser Pico Projector”There are two tit bits of information in the Press Release that we have not seen before. The first: “Microvision expects to begin product shipments in the next several weeks.” And the second: “Depending on the ambient light, the projected images range in size from 12” to 150”.”
Here’s the link…
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090915006111&newsLang=en
• Is it good news or bad news? In our opinion, this news is good. How great the news? That is debatable based on who is looking at it… and what investment horizon they have in their mind?
• Finally, after years of waiting for Green Lasers from its supply chain partners, Microvison today announced the long waited laser PicoP Projector for a market that consists of over 2 billion digital devices yearly as potential candidates for adoption.
• To those in the know, it means the Green Laser from Corning and Osram have reached the phase 2 optimum level of 100mw or higher, ASICs are functioning beyond the design expectations in reducing noise and speckle… there are no technological issues with the Green Lasers… and production is ramping-up nicely
• “Depending on the ambient light, the projected images range in size from 12” to 150”.” To us, this means the brightness of the images has improved to higher levels where 150” diagonal image projection is now possible in certain ambient light condition? If that is indeed the case, as I suspect it is, then it certainly makes it more appealing to the consumer that is looking for HD image experience in large screen format… and at miniscule energy consumption of a laser based projection technology that is always in focus.
• “Microvision expects to begin product shipments in the next several weeks.” Some may consider this announcement as another delay and will be disappointed. But the truth is, and perhaps a revelation of these folks ignorance, that a high-tech product is much more complex and requires two steps to a successful “product launch”… just like Corning did with their Green Laser G-1000. Corning launched their Green Laser G-1000 in May 2008… but did not sign an agreement with Microvision until May 2009.
• What was announced to-day is called “initial product launch”? Microvision has just finished the first part [product development] of a eight part high-tech product marketing and product launch strategy. Launching a high-tech product like SHOWwx is more complex and requires many a “ducks” to get in line… as compared to launching a mass produced consumer product like a “cereal” or “energy drink”.
Just because the product─ PicoP display engine and the SWOWwx─ is ready doesn’t mean there are no more challenges and hurdles that need resolving. Here’s the list of challenges still facing this company and that’s what, in my humble opinion, may still take a few weeks at least to resolve...
• Intellectual Property: You must file your patents and secure your invention records [as proof] to protect your intellectual property. Once the product is launched and is in the hands of your competitors [and pirates] you are sure to invite those who will reverse engineer [and infringe upon your rights] to copy your product… and steal your best employees.
• Product: This is the most important part of your entire marketing campaign. Without a great product you don't really have much to work with. For this reason you have to make sure that you have got your market research right. It is very important to make sure that you have met all the requirements that a consumer would want in the product you are offering. You need to make sure that all your products are of great quality and that can be relied on as well… and achieve the trust of your customers. The product you are offering will be the so called first impression on your company's reputation. For this reason it is very important that you get everything right. The main goal in terms of your products is to meet or exceed your customer's expectations.
• Supply Chain: Most high-tech products have several supply chain partners. In case of a mass produced product, such as PicoP display engine, all supply chain “ducks” must fall in-line, and kept in-line, to assure volume production and consistent quality over long periods of time… day-in day-out.
• Product Price: This is also quite an important factor in more terms that one. Seeing that you will be competing against other competitors, you have to make sure that you offer a price that will make customers want to come and buy your product instead. Don't just price your product out of thin air. Make sure you do your market research and based on the quality and benefits of your product, price your product [both OEM or branded] accordingly. When the production volumes are low, as is the case with PicoP display engines right now, consider offering differentiated value for premium prices.
• Packaging: The packaging of your product is also like the first impression of what you have to offer. You need to make sure that your packaging is both attractive and safe. Safe in the sense that it provides adequate protection to the product it is holding. Unless you have an attractive packaging, you won't be able to attract possible customers.
• Sales Channels: This is one of the most important factors when it comes to the actual launch of the product. You need to decide on the perfect location, or distribution channel, or a combination that will allow you to maximize the possible customers, maximize margins, optimize sales channel cost, and leverage & network human and financial resources.
The Company plans to distribute its accessory pico projector product through three sales channels: OEM branded products, Microvision branded products sold through international distributors and Microvision direct sales through its on-line store. Microvision has signed several marketing and distribution agreements with international distributors in Asia and Europe to launch Microvision branded and private labeled versions of the laser pico projector.
• Warranty, Service & Support: Offer realistic warranty that leverages the reliability features of your product as differentiated value and have the “service & support” infrastructure in-place before launching your product.
• Promotion: This has a key role in advertising and the launch of the product itself. You need to carefully decide on the approach that you will promote your product in comparison to your other competitors.
Intel has become one of the world's most recognizable computer brands following its long-running “Intel Inside” campaign. The campaign, which started in 1991, was created by Intel marketing manager Dennis Carter. The five-note jingle was introduced the following year and by its tenth anniversary was being heard in 130 countries around the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Corporation#Logos
“Image by PicoP” is, or so it seems at this early stages of Microvision’s marketing campaign, the slogan [or the champion theme] for its line of laser based PicoP Display Engines. With the commercial launch of SHOWwx today─ the world’s first laser based Accessory PicoP projector─ the Microvision company has laid the foundation for its future marketing campaign by embracing “Image by PicoP” as its champion theme.http://www.microvision.com/“Intel Inside” campaign is considered as the most suceesful and key component of Intel’s marketing strategy responsible for the ubiquitous status of its CPUs in the personal computer market place.
How well the “Image by PicoP” campaign will work for Microvision’s PicoP Display Engines remains to be seen as its just the beginning of the journey to achieving the ubiquitous status in the Pico projection market place… that consists of over 2 billion digital devices as potential candidates for adoption. Here's an article on Image by PicoP & Ubiquity worth reading...
http://mirro7.blogspot.com/2009/09/microvision-from-here-to-picop-ubiquity.html
A good number of Microvision investors continue to demonstrate that they have no clue as to what it takes to bring a disruptive high-tech product to the consumer. As early as this morning, there were those who were throwing temper tantrums because their “self created” company milestones were not met. Someone very eloquently said: “Alex is not some used car salesman trying to rip people off.” He’s the real deal. Based on his (Alex Tokman - CEO) comments and the way he expressed himself, he sincerely believed that December 2008 stretch goal could have been met… if Corning did not get ahead of itself in projecting green laser availability.
Alex T seems to have learned from this and is being very careful about sharing his expectations for HUD, Eyewear, HD PicoP display engine, and future volume projections to the investor community. He said the final targets will really depend on the manufacturer’s [OEMs] timeframe and would probably occur in the late 2010 to 2011 timeframe. It’s difficult to say since all of their resources are primarily being focused on SHOWwx.
At any rate, I’m fully comfortable with Microvision shipping the pre-launched products in “the next several weeks”. Microvision ship is leaving port and moving into uncharted waters of "Image by PicoP" ubiquity and the next five years will be very interesting for sure.
Anant Goel
http://www.wealthbyoptions.com/
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Yes Virginia: “Its Intel Inside… but Image by PicoP.”
Intel has become one of the world's most recognizable computer brands following its long-running “Intel Inside” campaign. The campaign, which started in 1991, was created by Intel marketing manager Dennis Carter. The five-note jingle was introduced the following year and by its tenth anniversary was being heard in 130 countries around the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Corporation#Logos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSuaVfpKa7s
“Image by PicoP” is, or so it seems at this early stages of Microvision’s marketing campaign, the slogan [or the champion theme] for its line of laser based PicoP Display Engines. With the commercial launch of SHOWwx today─ the world’s first laser based Accessory PicoP projector─ the Microvision company has laid the foundation for its future marketing campaign by embracing “Image by PicoP” as its champion theme.
http://www.microvision.com/
“Intel Inside” campaign is considered as the most suceesful and key component of Intel’s marketing strategy responsible for the ubiquitous status of its CPUs in the personal computer market place.
How well the “Image by PicoP” campaign will work for Microvision’s PicoP Display Engines remains to be seen as its just the beginning of the journey to achieving the ubiquitous status in the Pico projection market place… that consists of over 2 billion digital devices as potential candidates for adoption.
http://mirro7.blogspot.com/2009/09/microvision-from-here-to-picop-ubiquity.html
According to Wikipedia…
“An advertising campaign is a series of advertising messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). The critical part of making an advertising campaign is determining a champion theme, as it sets the tone for the individual advertisements and other forms of marketing communications that will be used. The campaign theme is the central message that will be communicated in the promotional activities. The campaign themes are usually developed with the intention of being used for a substantial period but many of them are short lived due to factors such as being ineffective or market conditions and/or competition in the marketplace and marketing mix.”
Anant Goel
http://www.WealthByOptions.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Corporation#Logos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSuaVfpKa7s
“Image by PicoP” is, or so it seems at this early stages of Microvision’s marketing campaign, the slogan [or the champion theme] for its line of laser based PicoP Display Engines. With the commercial launch of SHOWwx today─ the world’s first laser based Accessory PicoP projector─ the Microvision company has laid the foundation for its future marketing campaign by embracing “Image by PicoP” as its champion theme.
http://www.microvision.com/
“Intel Inside” campaign is considered as the most suceesful and key component of Intel’s marketing strategy responsible for the ubiquitous status of its CPUs in the personal computer market place.
How well the “Image by PicoP” campaign will work for Microvision’s PicoP Display Engines remains to be seen as its just the beginning of the journey to achieving the ubiquitous status in the Pico projection market place… that consists of over 2 billion digital devices as potential candidates for adoption.
http://mirro7.blogspot.com/2009/09/microvision-from-here-to-picop-ubiquity.html
According to Wikipedia…
“An advertising campaign is a series of advertising messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). The critical part of making an advertising campaign is determining a champion theme, as it sets the tone for the individual advertisements and other forms of marketing communications that will be used. The campaign theme is the central message that will be communicated in the promotional activities. The campaign themes are usually developed with the intention of being used for a substantial period but many of them are short lived due to factors such as being ineffective or market conditions and/or competition in the marketplace and marketing mix.”
Anant Goel
http://www.WealthByOptions.com/
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