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Tech failings! You see them every day with startups. App crashes, version delays, glitches, etc. However what happens when the big boys suffer from a hiccup or something even larger? You might have a serious brand problem on your hands.

Microsoft’s Broken Windows

So what OS are you running right now? Apple OS X? Windows 7/Vista? Windows XP? The issue is you most certainly aren’t using Windows 8. Back in April, it just surpassed desktop Linux. So why the big problem with Windows 8? Windows decided to really take a big risk and combine their operating systems of Xbox 360 and Windows Mobile and bring that to computers.

Windows didn’t really learn from Apple who separates their OS’s on their phones/tablets from their computers. Small icons are much better suited for touch screens. 

Big users of Windows are businesses and majority of them have contracts with Microsoft. Who in their OS development team was told they wanted a change? Windows 7 was the logical upgrade for XP (which is still in heavy use by businesses). 7 was just an update for Vista, both still weren’t adopted by businesses. 

So a decades old OS that is no longer getting support by MS is your reality Microsoft. What do you do? New OS? Well put a band-aid on it! The Financial Times stated this “band-aid” will correct and change key elements of Windows 8, one of the largest failures since New Coke.

Facebook’s Dropped Call

Facebook Home. The operating system for a phone that everyone was waiting years for, right? Facebook is a social web application that is the phenomena of a generation, so making this jump doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. 

Facebook’s first problem is they only got support for the HTC First, when they claimed support over all devices. Also it is more an application rather than a true OS, it is for Android phones. However, it is incompatible with other Android phones.

Facebook really didn’t market this product at all, praying on the successes of their website to push growth.

The public’s answer: Nope. Google Play users gave the “application” 1 star. AT&T is prepping to dump the phone. According to that Guardian article, Facebook is debating on what they want to do now. This AT&T decision pretty much is the nail in the coffin for Home. They may need to really reach out to their target market and use that data they have on so many users. It is a wonder how FB could have such a failure with the potential for a huge database to mine.

As you can see the big boys can have some failures. It really appears a lack of market research was done on the part of Facebook and Microsoft. Assumptions were made in development and marketing these products. Microsoft assumed that mobile and video game operating systems were successful based on users approval, when instead users were using them due to lack of options for OS’s. Facebook ran into a similar issue of users needs. It is early in Facebook’s product response, so we shall see what they do post-Home.

Sexy utilitarianism

Form follows function. I am sure you have heard that statement countless times related to building design. However, how about clothing? 4 years ago, the world was given Aether Apparel. 

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Aether is in the fashion industry where building a brand is so important (obviously if you aren’t going for price competitiveness). So what have they done? Built one of the most apparent lifestyle brands in recent memory (even greater than Patagonia).

So how did they do it? Big social push. They are active on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Posting ads about their products right? Think again. In fact, their Pinterest boards focus solely on pictures of design and fashion leaders. Not one picture of their products or link to one, in fact their only “brand” boards are pictures of their stores. Alright so their Facebook strategy must be littered with ads and specials then. Think again, 1 out 10 posts link to products, the rest actually link to other products from other brands! 

Aether is very interesting as they are testing areas for future store locations (currently they have 2: in San Fran and LA) with an Airstream. 

It looks like they haven’t run one this year so it is possible Aether is making a move to get permanent locations in one of those areas? Anyway, I thought this move really fit with their brand. It says outdoorsy but they picked city locations like Boston, Dallas, and NYC. Exactly what Aether wants, a fashionable outdoorsy person. I say “person” because they do have a female line even though they are going for men, it appears their line is fairly functional but slightly more stylish than your typical outdoorsy brand. 

Aether is going for a very interesting niche market, but if they can show their quality and offer interesting products, like books on how to stay alive in the woods, then Aether will really resonate with their market.

JC Penney - It’s No Secret

I know I made a post regarding what JC Penney needs to do to change. This ad is a terrible mistake (and seems that people on YouTube agree with the negative response). The voice over they used is even worse, sounds like a disappointed mother. They have even begun to reverse bringing in outside brands and resort to their own brands.

They were making the right moves with Ron Johnson, just too fast for their base market. These pair of moves is just pathetic to see a brand resorting to.