Almost 6 years ago, I helped start the cloud business email wars
and while I have moved on, I still watch the space with more than passing
interest. Two things caught my eye this week.
First, there was a launch of new mobile
app for Gmail from Mailbox.
I really like what they have done here. There are tons of new ways to manage
your mobile inbox. Check out the video here. Mailbox understands that we are living in a
mobile first world. They didn't start with a web app, they started with mobile.
I love this value prop:
“Inbox Zero. Daily. When your inbox holds just the stuff you need to
address now, email feels lighter and faster. Mailbox makes getting to zero —
and staying there — a breeze. After you experience a clean inbox, you'll wonder
how you ever lived without it.”
The second thing that
caught my eye was Microsoft's Scroogled campaign against Gmail.
I really think
these Anti-Google Scroogled campaigns are a bad idea. The most recent
campaign accusing Google of reading all users email because it places ads in
its consumer Gmail service. The videos use a set of eyes to imply a person is
reading email. It fails to point out that the email is only read by computers,
not humans. More importantly it fails to point out that Microsoft and all
email providers do the same thing. All email providers must read email in order
to filter spam. Every email sent in every consumer and corporate system is read by a
computer. Advertising falsehoods is never a good idea.
Worse than that
for Microsoft, they will almost certainly not work. I think they are getting
some advice from ex-political ad man, Mark Penn. If Microsoft’s advisors are telling you
that you can “swiftboat” Google or “define Google” the way the Obama campaign
defined Romney in summer of 2012, I can tell them that it won’t work. Those
campaigns worked because Kerry and Romney did not have established brands.
Google has a very positive established brand that it has rightfully earned.
So,
two big things in email this week. A small startup trying to out innovate Google,
Apple and Microsoft on mobile. And Microsoft trying to scare people into using
their web based application. Not sure if Mailbox
can win against the big guys, but I give them a better chance than Microsoft does
of scaring people away from Gmail.
I think you're confusing yourself with the target for Microsoft's Google criticism. Most people understand that Google services are "free" because of advertising but few know that they target advertising based on user CONTENT. When I show friends and family how it works by sending them email with certain keywords and note ads that correspond with them they almost always express distaste. Often the word I hear is "creepy."
ReplyDeleteThere's a big difference between scanning the contents of email to ID spam and using the contents to target ads. The former is like scanning baggage for bomb. Many people are slightly out off by the invasion of privacy but understand. The latter is like scanning for a bomb and, not finding one, showing an ad for condoms after seeing a package in my toiletries bag.
What REALLY blows peoples minds is hearing that Google serves ads based on email they send to Gmail addresses from other email services. Gmail users at least (unwittingly) opt-in.