Bitcoin - Magic Computer Money - page 2.

runeks

legendary

Activity: 980

Merit: 1008

I've always liked the term Internet cash. Cause that's really what it is. We've never been able to send money to each other over the internet before. We always had to go through a third party (bank). Now it's possible to send it to each other directly.

Quote from: evoorhees on July 24, 2012, 11:17:51 AM

LOL people, again, I was joking

Does one need to use [sarcasm][/sarcasm] tags to convey sarcasm???

That's the thing about sarcasm on the internet. It's not funny if you reveal it's sarcasm, and we have no way (body language, facial expression) to tell if you're joking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law

fabrizziop

hero member

Activity: 506

Merit: 500

Actually my family called bitcoin that way when I explained it to them. They still don't understand Tongue

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

i want to really stress not to say much more than 'it's magical'. i've seen a lot of people trying to extoll the virtues of bitcoin in terms of:

- you can manage it yourself!
- there are no banks!
- it can be anonymous!
- you can buy drugs and influence the creation of titty pictures with it!

and almost none of this gives the average person any degree of comfort.

if you're looking for the mainstream byline, the sell is "it's magical", nothing more.

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

Quote from: n8rwJeTt8TrrLKPa55eU on July 24, 2012, 05:56:39 PM

*Magic Money
*Internet Money (my favorite, totally generic yet instantly understandable by 99% of population, shows confidence in taking the crown as the Internet money, implicitly crushing all other past and future pretenders)
*Global Money
*Magic Internet Money
*Global Internet Money
*Smart Internet Money

"Computer" or "Mobile" are excessively restricting adjectives, IMHO...plus "Mobile" will not translate well to other languages where different terminology or shorthand is commonly used to mean "Mobile Phone"...

we're talking about an english-language campaign here, addressed at an english-speaking audience. don't expect what works well in one language or region, to work well in others. that said, i've traveled pretty extensively and "mobile" seems pretty universal, with some exceptions.

BUT... "Magic Internet Money" is a pretty good compromise, if that's what we're going for here. it's a great counter to the critics who call it that condescendingly, embracing just so.

Bitcoin: Magic Internet Money
Ever think that money could be magical?

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

Quote from: MoreCowbell on July 24, 2012, 04:59:20 PM

Quote from: paulie_w on July 24, 2012, 03:43:43 PM

that is much less effective than "magic computer money", sorry.

'engineered' makes it sound like it's something very technical. that's not a good way to sell it to people on an emotional level.

That's because bitcoin as a system is very technical, and well thought out. You don't need to know exactly how your bank is protecting your money, just that they have a good system.

A modern Toyota car is incredibly complex and technical, but people like them because of their reliability and durability. Consumers like Toyota engineering and they feel safe with their products. I even hear "German Engineering" as a desirable characteristic from people who can barely open the hood of their car.

Maybe "engineered" isn't exactly the right word to go with, but the slogan needs to set bitcoin apart and offer a high level description at the same time. People need to know bitcoin isn't some short-sighted nerd-fad so they don't discount it right at the start. We need people to take it seriously and think that it sounds trustworthy.

in terms of what works in marketing, this kind of thinking on a mainstream level went out the window in the late 1990s. the emotional sell is where it's at and the technical details don't matter. the more you add, the less effective this effort is going to be.

n8rwJeTt8TrrLKPa55eU

hero member

Activity: 588

Merit: 500

*Magic Money
*Internet Money (my favorite, totally generic yet instantly understandable by 99% of population, shows confidence in taking the crown as the Internet money, implicitly crushing all other past and future pretenders)
*Global Money
*Magic Internet Money
*Global Internet Money
*Smart Internet Money

"Computer" or "Mobile" are excessively restricting adjectives, IMHO...plus "Mobile" will not translate well to other languages where different terminology or shorthand is commonly used to mean "Mobile Phone"...

Gareth Nelson

hero member

Activity: 721

Merit: 503

Quote from: paulie_w on July 24, 2012, 04:35:16 PM

Quote from: Gareth Nelson on July 24, 2012, 04:11:07 PM

Quote from: evoorhees on July 23, 2012, 10:47:23 PM

Ira (bearbones) and I were chatting today. We've come up with a new slogan which should be made the official slogan of Bitcoin:

Bitcoin
Magic Computer Money

So the new strategy is that whenever you're introducing Bitcoin to someone, don't try to explain how it works, or why it's so amazing. Just say, "it's magic computer money."

Also, when users open up the Satoshi desktop client software, there should be a new splash screen that flashes black and yellow real fast for about 5 seconds and it should say "MAGIC COMPUTER MONEY"

Thoughts?

That's essentially how I explained what bitcoin is when I sent a casascius bar to my grandfather as a gift.
"It's magic computer money"

gareth, you are in Manhattan right? ask your advertising-industry friends what they think.

lol, no - i'm in wales

Vladimir

hero member

Activity: 812

Merit: 1001

-

Quote from: MoreCowbell on July 24, 2012, 04:59:20 PM

I even hear "German Engineering" as a desirable characteristic from people who can barely open the hood of their car.

LOL. That's me. I literally never ever opened bonnet of my merc since I bought it a few years back. I am totally sold on idea of "German Engineering", whatever it is.

MoreCowbell

newbie

Activity: 24

Merit: 0

Quote from: paulie_w on July 24, 2012, 03:43:43 PM

that is much less effective than "magic computer money", sorry.

'engineered' makes it sound like it's something very technical. that's not a good way to sell it to people on an emotional level.

That's because bitcoin as a system is very technical, and well thought out. You don't need to know exactly how your bank is protecting your money, just that they have a good system.

A modern Toyota car is incredibly complex and technical, but people like them because of their reliability and durability. Consumers like Toyota engineering and they feel safe with their products. I even hear "German Engineering" as a desirable characteristic from people who can barely open the hood of their car.

Maybe "engineered" isn't exactly the right word to go with, but the slogan needs to set bitcoin apart and offer a high level description at the same time. People need to know bitcoin isn't some short-sighted nerd-fad so they don't discount it right at the start. We need people to take it seriously and think that it sounds trustworthy.

cbeast

donator

Activity: 1736

Merit: 1006

Let's talk governance, lipstick, and pigs.

"I see a whole lotta lawbreakers around here."

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

Quote from: Gareth Nelson on July 24, 2012, 04:11:07 PM

Quote from: evoorhees on July 23, 2012, 10:47:23 PM

Ira (bearbones) and I were chatting today. We've come up with a new slogan which should be made the official slogan of Bitcoin:

Bitcoin
Magic Computer Money

So the new strategy is that whenever you're introducing Bitcoin to someone, don't try to explain how it works, or why it's so amazing. Just say, "it's magic computer money."

Also, when users open up the Satoshi desktop client software, there should be a new splash screen that flashes black and yellow real fast for about 5 seconds and it should say "MAGIC COMPUTER MONEY"

Thoughts?

That's essentially how I explained what bitcoin is when I sent a casascius bar to my grandfather as a gift.
"It's magic computer money"

gareth, you are in Manhattan right? ask your advertising-industry friends what they think.

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

i don't see what any of that has to do with Bitcoin, or why it would need to associate with those things.

BCB

vip

Activity: 1078

Merit: 1002

BCJ

I'm just thinking

Automobile
Vehicle
Car
Ride
Wheels

It needs a common tag to enter the popular consciousness.

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

well, this is not 1997 :-) "Bitcoin" is fine as a name.

everyone truly interested in the subject should read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Ogilvy-Advertising-David/dp/039472903X/

BCB

vip

Activity: 1078

Merit: 1002

BCJ

mMoney

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

and by the way, i still really like "computer", because it kind of dismisses playfully some of the perceived/true/media-hyped complexities. it IS magic computer money, after all.

my tweak to "mobile" is merely about the present times, and the fact that people are seeing the computer as something somehow less important/relevant than mobile devices (even if they are just computers themselves). it also brings with it a connotation of freedom, of not being tied to a large device, of being global.

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

it doesn't have to age well.

almost no slogan lasts longer than 5-10 years. i would encourage you to look into this yourself.

this is another misunderstanding from people who have not worked in this industry: slogans, catchphrases, logos, and even names change with the times, evolving with the product and its use/intended uses.

for now, "mobile" works. tomorrow, you might as well replace it with "brain".

BCB

vip

Activity: 1078

Merit: 1002

BCJ

I don't think "mobile" is going to age well

magic ____________ money

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

one small tweak:

i would change it to "magic mobile money"

more with the times and still perfectly spot-on, since the 'computer' is rapidly playing second-fiddle to the reality of mobile.

paulie_w

sr. member

Activity: 420

Merit: 250

to be honest, i almost feel like you don't have to. remember that you also need a slogan or catchphrase to be succinct and memorable.

really, "magic computer money" says enough: "magic" in this case implies ease-of-use (which encompasses convenience, safety and a kind of superiority).

it should and will evolve later, no doubt, but for now it's enough to sell it this way, and it works by itself.

evoorhees is spot on.

Topic: Bitcoin - Magic Computer Money - page 2. (Read 10550 times)