It’s your watch that tells most about who you are.
The above is a quote from the SeikoUSA.com site. Does that mean anyone wearing a Rolex is not the brightest bulb in the room? The answer: Yes. The Distillery can summarize Rolex watches in two words: Caveat emptor. (I’ve owned two of them — and sold two of them. Rolex, without doubt, makes the worse watches of which The Distillery is aware. They cannot even come close to keeping accurate time in this day of cesium clocks. Rolex is one product where it is most definitely all about the name. Trust me and buy a watch that works, not a Rolex.)
On the other hand (or is that wrist?), I still have a Seiko watch that an aunt gave me approximately 35 years ago — and it’s still working and keeping very accurate time, without once needing a servicing in all those years. (My dress watch is a Seiko Micky Mouse watch. I’m very proud of it.)
But what about SeikoUSA online? The SeikoUSA.com site starts with a nice bass beat, but once in the site there is enough silence that one really can hear one’s watch ticking. An exception is the Seiko Kinetic Auto Relay. There we find so-so graphics and the endless repetition of a very short passage of music. You will want to click that “music off” link ASAP, or at least choose something other than the default. Also, do not bother navigating to http://www.viewpoint.com. The site apparently has nothing to do with watches, UTC, water clocks, or Big Ben. Seiko must not have been able to afford its promotion and therefore aligned itself with Viewpoint.com. (Is The Distillery missing something here?)
The next multimedia content found is for the Seiko Milemarker. However, hold your horses. After 30 seconds or so of music, we can again hear our own watches ticking. (Seiko, maybe that might work — a very low-volume ticking somewhere in the background. It would be better than either the terrible music or deafening silence you now offer visitors.)
What next? Spring Drive. At least this time we are immediately offered a choice to enter the mini-site with music on or off. Whew! That’s a relief. And finally, the sort of content we expect from one of the world’s best-known brands. We find a nice musical introduction and then a [very short] pleasant voice-over. But then again, the roar of silence. One must click on View Video under History to continue the light and sound show. Other short videos are found under Mechanism and Design. Oops, two additional videos are found under Mechanism: Three Key Innovations and Glide Motion.
From there we can click to reach the Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie. It is here that SeikoUSA begins to get more things right. The background music and softly ringing bell are very pleasant, but also do not wear out their welcome. We find a two-minute film about the Sonnerie. (Yes, they attempted to hide the controls. Look over to the right for narrow and broadband options camouflaged within the image of the watch’s workings.)
The film provides very little information, but if the watch rings as we hear it online, someone at Seiko got their harmonics very right. It is a very pleasant tone the watch generates and that we hear. Look no further. The remainder of the site is still under construction. Also, you cannot buy the Sonnerie just yet. It will be made available for private showings and purchase in Paris this upcoming November 2006. (Private showings? I think that means it’s very expensive.)
And last, we have Seiko’s historical timeline, A Journey in Time. Once again, a very short clip of music quickly gives way to silence. However, maybe all the silence at the SeikoUSA site is consistent with one of its taglines: The Quiet Revolution. That, they got right.
Home page: SeikoUSA

Pinger
Monday, 11 December 2006; 14:15Something weird seems to be happening. And, it is YouTube-related. (Isn’t everything these days?) What is it? It appears some firms have decided that the best and cheapest advertising, viral or otherwise, begins [and ends] with YouTube.
Pinger is an excellent example. Via YouTube, the founders of Pinger.com offer this video introduction to their new business model. (Look to the lower-left portion of your screen. Then click “video” under “Learn More.”) How does The Distillery feel about using YouTube as a primary advertising medium? We are not certain. It seems both right and wrong. Let’s explore that assessment a little more.
YouTube is an excellent fit with what is suspected to be Pinger’s primary target market–younger-aged text messengers. On the other hand, and keeping recent survey findings in mind, using YouTube will not be the best vehicle for what is assumed to be another Pinger target market–older adults more accustomed to voice and phone, but have not yet adopted text messaging. (Note: Pinger combines voice with text messaging and your cell phone. It supposedly offers the best of both worlds.)
Is YouTube Pinger’s only advertising medium, other than any viral or word-of-mouth from the YouTube video? The Distillery would appreciate if its readers let it know where else Pinger ads have been found. Yes, there are the press releases and very likely some public relations work, but will they be sufficient?
We also see Pinger aligning itself with MySpace.com–again emphasizing a younger target market. Does that mean Pinger is eschewing older users who might actually find this form of “text messaging” not only fun, but useful? Only time will tell if a YouTube-focused advertising campaign is sufficient. But until then, you might give Pinger a trial–regardless of your age.
Home page: Pinger
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