The new Verizon Palm Pre ad displays a “blast-from-the-past” mom, discussing how she uses color coded sticky notes to keep track of family events. The Pre Plus comes flying across the screen as the woman in the ad is demonstrating how pink sticky notes are for “pot roast” and green ones are for “groceries”. The ad ends by showing off the phone’s multiple calendar capabilities and unashamedly labeling the phone as “The 3G smartphone smart enough for mom.” The ad says a lot about who Verizon is targeting with it’s WebOS line of devices, but at the same time it demeans customers by playing off of gender specific stereotypes, and discredits the “smartness” of the other smart phones in Verizon’s line up.
Mom Is Too Dumb To Use Smart Phone
The ad implicitly suggests that moms are not smart enough to use other smart phones such as the Droid, a Blackberry, or any of the Windows Mobile devices on Verizon. This knock against moms, whether true or not, may come across as a little demeaning. Maybe I’m over reacting, but are there any tech savvy moms that want to speak up? How does this advertising campaign make you feel?
Android OS For Dads? For Those Smarter Than Mom?
Around the launch of the Motorola Droid on Verizon, the company touted the phone as a device of “Does”. One ad in particular portrayed the phone with so much testosterone and masculinity that watching it made me want to start my own fight club. Did Verizon feel that the manly advertising overkill would be rectified by marketing the Pre as a woman’s phone? Did they feel like they were neglecting this profitable demographic? Regardless, the ad may be saying something about Palm, but it is also saying just as much about Android (or other smart phones for that matter). If simplicity and ease of use are a concern, Android may not be the best choice.
WebOS Is Intuitive And Easy To Use
Regardless of the ads punch to the Palm Pre’s manhood, Verizon is saying that WebOS is not as difficult to understand and use as Android, and that even technologically challenged mobile phone users, such as moms (their implication, not mine), will be able to get a grasp on the phone. Coming from someone that has used many smartphones in his day, WebOS is as intuitive and as intelligent as they come. On top of that, the phone is loaded with just about every feature you could ask for. Despite these facts, as an owner of a Pre on Sprint, I’m now a little embarrassed when I have to pull out my “mom” phone to take a call, or check a text. With it’s stereotyping I think that Verizon is alienating potential male customers, and putting shame to those men out there that already own the phone. So Verizon, hopefully these few Palm Pre ads blow over, but if you even dare advertise the Pixi as “grandma’s phone” so help me . . .
cool whip
on Feb 9th, 2010
@ 8:22 am:
I completely agree I always thought my pre was awesome and cool but thanks to verizon I can’t take my phone out without being called a mom!!! F*** verizon !!!!
anon
on Feb 9th, 2010
@ 8:27 am:
The add does NOT imply that mom is too dumb to use any other smartphone. How could you mess that up? The add clearly states that other smartphones are not as smart as mom and only the Palm Pre can keep up. It is a complement to Moms and of course the Pre.
cullers
on Feb 9th, 2010
@ 8:46 am:
Not a mom, but definitely a woman, I liked the Droid marketing and now own one. Open Source Android platform! Pull out keyboard! I rather think it’s your own prejudice that’s coming into play here. Why would a commercial for the Droid that talks about robots alienate me? Do only dudes like robots? Since when? Robots, sir, are AWESOME. And they are neither male nor female.
Eric Maycock
on Feb 9th, 2010
@ 9:39 am:
@cullers
I think that is awesome that you are enjoying your Droid. A couple people here at the Standard (including one woman) have one and they love them. I feel that the ad I referenced clearly targets men. Robots, rock crushing, boxing, and statements such as \runs apps with axle greased ease\, and \swaps semi functional giggling ? vanity\, are clearly not portraying the phone as a womans phone.
Eric Maycock
on Feb 9th, 2010
@ 9:44 am:
@anon
Verizon, by stating that moms need a special smartphone, is implying that they can’t handle other smartphones. At least this is the impression that I get, and I can guarantee that I’m not the only one.
Catherine Burt
on Feb 9th, 2010
@ 11:03 am:
The ad will appeal to women who use sticky notes on their calendars… as a woman and a mom, I was not offended by the ad. I make fun of women like that too LOL
anon
on Feb 9th, 2010
@ 11:28 am:
@Eric
You are correct that other people are getting confused and thereby offended by the commercial. The intention of the ad is to imply that other smartphones can not handle Mom, not the other way around. Either way it doesn’t affect me because I already own a Pre and I’m a guy.
Audrey
on Feb 9th, 2010
@ 7:48 pm:
Get over it! You are all missing the point. The Mom’s demographic is huge. Specifically targeted advertising equals revenues! To ignore it is bad business. You don’t have to use a red Palm Pre if you are a guy and neither do I as a woman. Read more about technology on my blog: http://www.businessissuestoday.blogspot.com This is just a savvy business decision!
Eric Maycock
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 12:18 am:
@Audrey
I’m well aware of targeting specific markets, after all I am a business major. Not sure if the “Mom’s that want a smartphone” demographic can be classified as “huge”, but I understand what you are saying. Still, as a guy that owns a Pre, this ad is embarrassing, and I can’t see very many guys wanting to buy a phone that is labeled as the “phone smart enough for mom”. By the way, I checked out your blog. What company were you CEO/VP over?
Andrea Learned
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 7:59 am:
Well – both Pre and Android get credit for raising hackles and getting buzz, even if it is irritated buzz. Obviously gendered advertising is a tad old fashioned at this point – especially for technology/cell phones. What these comments show is likely a good sample of what that average Joe/Joesphina consumer thinks – some women like techy and some men like “simple”.. so… the lifestyle/interests are key/not the gender of the buyer. It can’t be “women= simple, but we don’t want to represent that so we’ll say women are smart to get simple.” Or, “men=fighting/war video game so we’ll ‘get’ them for sure with our Android ads.” Smarter marketers should be able to leverage all they know about their core consumers (moms, tech/fight lovers and/or some combination) and sell product without any underlying lame stereotypes or reverse stereotypes.
flatlander100
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 8:41 am:
EM:
Interesting. What you seem to be saying is that you, and men in general, are likely to pass on a smartphone that they’d prefer merely because they think it’s advertising might give people the impression it’s a woman’s phone. If that disparages anyone, seems to me, it’s men who you think are oh-so-easy for advertisers to yank around by their…. egos. The course of wisdom is to buy the smartphone that best serve your needs, and will be most useful to you. Period. To let an ad campaign and image consultantss manipulate me to buy a phone I didn’t want just so I’d feel more manly using it on the bus to work…. well, I’d be embarrassed to admit I could be led meekly around by advertisers that easily.
Buy and use the phone that works best for you. Screw image.
Eric Maycock
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 10:24 am:
@Andrea
Thank you, very well put.
Eric Maycock
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 10:36 am:
@flatlander100
Yes, I am definitely saying that. To say that a man shopping for a phone would not be affected by an ad that states a particular phone is for women or for moms, well, would be untrue. In a perfect world, individuals would buy the phone that functionally fits their needs. I’m not going to be getting rid of my Pre any time soon, but for most male consumers shopping for a new smartphone, I believe this ad will sway them in another direction (just as much as it may draw in women/moms). For the most part, we still live in a world with male and female stereotypes, and gender specific marketing still has quite an impact on us.
anon
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 12:28 pm:
I’m a mom, and a techie, and I think Verizon’s ads are patronizing. And I think Eric is right – the ads poison-the-well for many men, too. I bought my Honda CRV under-market from a guy who felt like it was a ‘chick’ car – probably because of the advertising approach described at http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/2006/09/2007-honda-cr-v-just-for-women.html .
kceezy
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 12:51 pm:
I returned my Palm Pre Plus almost immediately after seeing the first commercial advertising this as a Mom phone. I’m really ticked at Verizon and Palm for marketing the phone this way. It was a good phone, but as a male, I will not pull out a mom phone around my friends or anywhere in public. The marketing team in charge of this advertisement push should be fired. They completely alienated every male in possession of this phone.
Mark Shenefelt
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 2:56 pm:
I guess I’m too busy to worry about the marketing demographics of the smartphone landscape. My Crackberry’s almost beaten to death and I could care less whether it’s a model most preferred by alpha males or moms or cannibals.
But the interest in this topic and the often emotional responses and outlooks expressed seem to indicate that the various phone marketers are getting the attention they all crave. It also indicates that many people apparently are overly image conscious.
flatlander100
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 3:07 pm:
Wow. I find it hard to believe that there are many men with so little confidence in their masculinity they they’d give up a cell phone they liked because somebody called it a girly phone. Maybe boys on playgrounds in middle schools would. But adults? Grown men?
Hard to believe.
Neal Humphrey
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 4:14 pm:
I’m waiting for the smartphone that’s a smell-o-phone and gives off the distinctive aroma of a fine Maduro. Then nothing else will matter.
flatlander100
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 6:18 pm:
What the hell’s a Maduro?
Eric Maycock
on Feb 10th, 2010
@ 6:26 pm:
I was wondering the same thing. Something to do with cigars maybe (at least that’s what Google is returning).
Neal Humphrey
on Feb 11th, 2010
@ 7:50 pm:
A “Maduro” is a Mexican-style cigar characterized by a dark tobacco wrapper that imparts a robust flavor to the smoke. I had Maduros on my mind because one of the elders on my church board gave me a couple before I dropped the gavel to start the meeting last Tuesday night.
I’m the pastor of the Best Church that Absolutely Ever Was.
Strikerage
on Feb 14th, 2010
@ 2:12 pm:
Sorry, but these ads suck. I keep joking with a few buddies about how my Pre is better than their iPhone, and they always joke back. It was always good give and take, but now both of them saw the mom commercial and I want to just kick my phone into the sewer. Good job Verizon.
Adrian
on Feb 15th, 2010
@ 12:59 pm:
How is Verizon saying that WebOS is not as difficult and hard to “understand” as the Droid? Where do they even imply it’s difficult to use in the first place? This sounds much more like a jaded Pre owner’s attempt to grasp at the last card they have to play in the dwindling line-up of what their phone had over others.
It would be like saying since Verizon doesn’t talk about Pre’s application market it would mean that they are saying the Android has many more 2.0 applications already (well above double, even triple), despite the 2.0 release being much younger than WebOS. I couldn’t possibly translate the omission of something like that in an ad and turn it into meaning that it was in fact what the advertiser intended, that’d be just silly, like drawing that comparison of yours was.
Maybe what they’re saying is you have the phone with the least amount of customization, least amount of application development, and therefore it suits itself well to all the people who have no time to worry about tweaking their tech – moms. Obviously they’re not saying this but with the weird and unrelated presumptions you’re making you could pretty much make this ad to be about whatever you want, given such a wide scope of interpretation and loose definitions.
A phone reputation, or community residual image, should stand on it’s features and development to fuel the device’s acclaim. It’s unfortunate you feel the Pre is so delicate device that it’s mobile prowess can be questioned, or rather deflated, by whether or not an ad is male or female targeted, but maybe it’s just a painful truth the ad is revealing. That speaks to me of a very fragile platform that can’t stand on it’s own features and has to worry about media hype to keep it in the game of the mobile frontier. One could theorize that if it were a more robust, powerful device, you could laugh off the ads.
Just my 2 cents.