Friday, September 3, 2004
Is RealNetworks Just Stinky Cheese?
Posted by James Fee in "ARTICLE" @ 10:00 AM
"Real is trying to wage a grassroots battle to shame Apple into working with it. The company posted an online petition titled "Hey Apple, Don't Break My iPod," which urges Apple to open its proprietary music copy-protection technology to RealNetworks. But the petition backfired, attracting little interest from anyone besides the Apple fanatics who write obscenity-filled screeds. Real comes off as anything but a hero. "Real doesn't understand it's fighting a brand battle," says Bradley Peacock, president of Chicago-based marketing consultancy Peacock Nine. RealNetworks, with its complicated downloads and annoying pop-ups, has never been adored, and it is going up against an aspirational brand that is. (That's why people wear the pocket-size device outside their clothing and use the distinctive white earphones even though other earbuds offer better sound quality.) "Apple offers a superior product addressing genuine consumer wants and needs," says Drew Neisser, president of New York-based Renegade Marketing. "Real was never beloved by its users, only tolerated. Even by presenting itself as a bargain brand, it can't overcome its inherent limitations. A stinky cheese smells regardless of how little it costs."
I tend to agree with the argument. Real isn't a viable choice for most people and those who buy iPods don't want to stick the RealPlayer on the computers just for cheap music. There is no push from iPod users to make Apple open up the player to other music stores and even if they wanted it opened, I'm sure support for Real's music choices wouldn't be high on the list.
I tend to agree with the argument. Real isn't a viable choice for most people and those who buy iPods don't want to stick the RealPlayer on the computers just for cheap music. There is no push from iPod users to make Apple open up the player to other music stores and even if they wanted it opened, I'm sure support for Real's music choices wouldn't be high on the list.
