Giving Them The Business
Like most others, I was sad to see Steve Jobs go. He was a great innovator. (And it's also instructive, if not always mentioned, how often he failed.) But then, a lot of entrepeneurs were innovators, yet they don't get the same send-off. Since Jobs' death, I've seen quite a few tributes, and think pieces, on the meaning of his life. You didn't see the same with, say, Sam Walton. Now admittedly, Sam didn't die quite so young. But the techniques he introduced into retail, particularly througth Wal-Mart, revolutionized our world as well. (And he made more money than Jobs.)
They don't like Wal-Mart or Target either, though I'm not entirely sure why. Their heroes are people who protest such stores, and make sure they don't open nearby. (I personally was quite pleased when a local Target opened.) Sure, these stores put pressure on smaller businesses, but so does Apple.
And they hate Starbucks. But they don't hate Coffee Bean, at least not so as I've noticed. I'm no expert, but is there any serious difference between the two? They hate KFC and love Chick-fil-A. They hate McDonald's and love In-N-Out. And so on.
But they can be fickle. They used to love Whole Foods, yet they may be turning. But they still love Trader Joe's. I think they still like Google, but I'm not that sure now that it seems to be taking over (mostly because it offers better products), like Microsoft once did. But I guess it's better to have loved a business and lost than never to have loved at all.
PS A friend notes some companies actually advertise about how they're cool so you should love them, such as Chipotle Grill and Fresh & Easy.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:02 AM
4 Comments:
Who are these people? For being hated, a lot of these businesses are thriving.
-Target is a lot more hip than Walmart.
-Starbucks is only not cool only in locations that are hopelessly overcool already.
-Microsoft is seen as a triumph of quick marketing and dominance over elegant design of Apple (Having used both, I think they both suck but in very different ways- sucking of course while being absolutely useful and life being unimaginable without).
-The fast food places are for fat people and none are cool.
-Whole Foods is tremendously successful among dumb yuppies. Charge 2x a much and pretend its natural. They have figured out the marketing by keeping the CEO from speaking on politics.
-Trader Joe's is so inefficient (iei never having the same stuff) that it is beloved by those whose think that convenience is a gross bourgeois value
I think we need to hire this guy as a Guy.
SWMBCg, etc.
i applied at apple, but they said there was no jobs.
You can be hip or you can be popular. Not necessarily the same thing. In fact, sometimes the opposite.
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