As you know, I love tech.
Especially pointless tech.
So I’ve often found myself on fundraising sites like Kickstarter – putting myself down to help fund all manner of projects.
The reality is most end up being pants.
Like, proper pants.
Nowhere near the hype videos that they create to sell their idea.
But even that isn’t as bad as how delayed every project ends up being.
I have NEVER had one come when it claimed it would.
NEVER.
But recently, while looking at some old emails, I realised that sometimes, they’re not just late … they’re basically redefining time.
Have a look at this.
This product is called Scribble – a pen that let’s you scan any colour and it would then create the ink of that colour so you could write/draw with it.
Back in 2015, this was cutting edge which is why – despite never really using a pen and definitely never needing one that could write in any colour – I bought it.
Except, thanks to reading an old email, I realised I never got it.
Putting aside the fact that shows I have a bad memory, a flagrant disrespect for value for money and too much other shit coming into my life so I get distracted with what I’ve ordered – I started wondering whatever happened to Scribble so I looked them up.
And guess what … beyond all expectation, they are still around.
So I’ve written to them to ask where my bloody overpriced pen is.
And when I say overpriced, I mean OVERPRICED … especially when you can get those cheap multi-colour pens for about $1 at the local newsagent.
I should say I’ve told them that given 9 years have passed since I paid my money, I would rather they donate the value of the item to a charity than send it to me … but it does highlight the fatal flaw with platforms like Kickstarter, not to mention stuff like ‘brand vision’ and ‘purpose’.
Because while there are people who love the idea of being early adopters, co-creators and/or supporters of companies/brands who want to write the future – and let’s face it, I’m probably one of them, if the companies they’re supporting take so long to make anything happen that the future becomes the past … then you don’t just get angry, you lose trust.
Honestly, failure is a better outcome, because at least you know they tried.
Our industry loves to talk about the importance of ‘clarity, communication and purpose’, but one thing we often fail to acknowledge is that while people will put up with a lot of shit, they need to see you fighting and giving a shit.
Saying, “we’re not happy with the quality we’re making for you yet so we’re sad to announce we have to delay sending out the products for the 500th time” isn’t fighting … it’s outsourcing blame.
We’ve started to believe that as long as you apologise, you’re worthy of loyalty. But the problem is people can smell marketing/hype/excuse bullshit a mile off – so what they actually want is to see you fighting to make something happen.
Not just in terms of the product, but your approach to everything you’re doing.
So it might be good in 2024 if the industry goes a bit further than regurgitating the same bland statements in our pitches and work … because if we don’t reinforce marketing needs to be an extension of the values and behaviour of the whole company – rather than the hype man of the company – then we’re as complicit as them.
Wow, that Scribble Pen really fucked me off didn’t it.