Making it Easier, or Dumbing Down, for the Customer?

Apparently, marketers of computer products are taking the mantra of "Customer is King" to heart. According to NYT, "Intel, for example, has spent less time talking about its variety of chip brands and more time hawking products under its flagship Core brand...“We have been looking at the automotive industry,” said Ms. Conrad. “Computers have become an emotional purchase like cars. We’re getting very emotional with our marketing and advertising.”And, like carmakers that spend ages fine-tuning the sound of a slammed door, Dell has focused on the touch and sound of its computers. This idea has even carried over to the company’s data-center hardware with replaceable components like fans, which no longer have to just work but must have aesthetic appeal as well. “Things like the feel of a fan module coming out were the things really driving customer perceptions of our products,” said Ken Musgrave, Dell’s head of industrial design. “Was it rattling? Did it drag on the metal?”.."

***

If specs confuse a customer, should the specs be eliminated, or should the company demand more of its customers? Isn't an educated consumer a better customer?