Digital Trends by way of Yahoo has a list of the most overhyped gadgets for 2008. I really did not expect to agree with their selections … “one man’s delight is another man’s poison”. But I was surprised to discover that these products did all have a consistent trait – they were heavily promoted and marketed with the trade press generally buckling under this weight and giving them passing if not downright enthusiastic reviews.Here are my top 3 in reverse order from the full list of ten:
Amazon Kindle – so many ways to go wrong with this product.
Segway Transporter – would this sell in India or Peru ??
Microsoft Vista – Is this a gadget ? .. maybe a gotcha gadget.
I remember in our business class when the Marketing Professor used to say ” Marketing is all about creating lasting brand and value.” There were quizzical looks all over the classroom.