Diluting The Genius Brand
When I first read through this marketing program from Microsoft, I didn’t quite get it. The fact that Microsoft has a Mac Business Unit threw me there for a moment - why would they be touting Geniuses…? Then it dawned on me that it’s a seemingly lame attempt by the Redmond folks at diluting the brand that Apple has built in their Genius Bar. (See the latest Get a Mac ad that is most likely responsible for putting this one in play.)
It’s pretty amazing the services that Apple provides its customers with. Where else do you get personal tech assistance for free? (This isn’t to say it’s not out there, just very uncommon, and less common still is the quality of the help…) I was at the Apple store recently, and I overheard a Genius helping a Windows Vista user with their iTunes and whatnot. I think that’s a pretty big thing that they’re even willing to help with something that’s not technically within their realm.
#1 Kris Jones says:I’d have thought that iTunes software was well within the realm of Genius Bar staff. The whole idea of having Apple Stores and Genius Bars is to help promote the Apple brand. It would be tragic and not a little short-sighted if Apple Stores turned away Windows users asking for help with iTunes.
#2 Nick Santilli says:I meant more along the lines of Vista/Windows knowledge. iTunes is their responsibility, but knowing and being willing to troubleshoot vista related issues that affect iTunes is impressive when it’s not the core system they’re used to working on.
#3 Rich says:I’d hardly call that “diluting” the Apple brand. You are aware of the definition of “genius” are you not? It’s perfectly reasonable to expect Microsoft to use the term in relation to one of their products.
How many times have you — and countless other people — called yourself “an x genius”? An XP genius; cooking genius; lawn bowling genius; even an Apple genius. No one referring to themselves in such a way is diluting anyone’s brand, it’s a common phrase to use. As this Google search for “* genius” shows, with over a million hits.
I very much doubt Microsoft were, in any way, shape or form, having a dig at Apple. Just using a perfectly appropriate word in a perfectly appropriate context.
As for the so-called geniuses not providing iTunes support — how is that not their domain? If a so-called Genius can’t debug iTunes because it’s on a different platform, I’d question their suitability for the title.