Talkin’ ‘Bout the ‘Next Generation’
MEMORANDUM
TO: All Startups (particularly their PR people)
SUBJECT: Stop Calling Yourself, Your Product or Your Service “Next Generation”
Living in the present is for suckers, evidently, because every single online video-related company dwells in the future. How else to explain how everyone in this space either is “next generation” or offers “next-generation” products and services?
Problem is, when you overuse a word, you dilute its meaning. The use of “next generation” is so pervasive that it’s become piffle. The journalists and consumers you try to influence with that descriptor are numb to it because everything has become next generation. Think I’m exaggerating? Here’s a quick rundown of “next generation” items that made their way into NewTeeVee HQ in the past month:
“TargetSpot, Inc., the next generation streaming media advertising network…”
“KlickOn Creative, which is chartered with the exciting challenge of creating the next generation of advertising methodologies that viewers will find entertaining…”
“Adobe is committed to driving the next generation of video delivery and accelerating the fusion of TV and the Internet…”
“It is the next generation integrated digital media and home entertainment software solution, Nero 8.”
“MobiTV announced it is leveraging the Enea Accelerator Platform in its next-generation architecture for the delivery of broadcast-quality television and video to mobile phones, PDAs and PCs.”
“DECA uniquely identifies, funds, markets and distributes next-generation digital entertainment properties, bridging the gap between Hollywood, Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley.”
“The ON Networks flexible, built-in advertising and options for high-quality, viral content give brands next-generation tools to make lasting impressions.”
“Nirvanix provides businesses with next-generation storage-as-a-service (SaaS), and is addressing the challenges associated with the explosive growth of user-generated content and the corresponding demand for storage.”
“National Lampoon Inc., the most widely recognized brand in comedy, announced today that it has launched a National Lampoon video channel on NEXT.TV, a revolutionary new next-generation Internet TV service.”
“Swarmcast Granted Patent for Next Generation Internet Video Delivery Technology”
Bonus: “Virgin America, the next-generation airline, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive partnership with Boing Boing TV.”
The point is, maybe you should spend a little less time focusing on the “next generation” of whatever you offer to perfect what you’re doing now. Maybe move out of beta. Get some traffic. Perhaps some revenue.
Otherwise, why dontcha all f-f-f-f-fade away.
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Sometimes it’s not the PR people whe decide to use the “$100,000″ words, but the C-level people that feel the need and insert them into the documents written by the PR people.
Uriah on October 10th, 2007 at 7:23 am - Permalink
Well…many of us wanted to use terms like “new breeds” or “perched at the intersection of technology, business and creativity” or “reinvention of TV” - but those terms were already taken :-)
Anne on October 10th, 2007 at 12:37 pm - Permalink
i think you’re suffering from overexposure. next-gen still has a nice ring for those who don’t bath in pr feeds.
Stanley Miller on October 10th, 2007 at 1:22 pm - Permalink
Just please don’t call yourself a widget-enabled, high definition destination platform.
Chris Albrecht on October 10th, 2007 at 1:29 pm - Permalink
Argh! You’re totally right here Liz. What exactly was “Last Generation?” I want to avoid that like the plague now!
Alex on October 11th, 2007 at 5:13 pm - Permalink
Thanks Alex — but while I share Chris’ and your frustrations, he actually wrote the piece!
Liz Gannes on October 11th, 2007 at 7:54 pm - Permalink