Ralph Lauren iPhone App
Posted on October 27th, 2008by Michael Gray in Advertising
One of the criticisms of scientists, engineers, and programmers has always been just because you can build something, doesn’t mean you should. While the Ralph Lauren iPhone app is much more benign than any piece of industrial or military hardware, it is equally as pointless.
The screen shot on the left is of the new Ralph Lauren iPhone Application. The applications only purpose is to show you items from the Ralph Lauren fashion line on your iPhone. The problem is you can’t do anything with it other than look at pictures or watch videos of the fashion shows. You can’t click a link and be brought to website where you can buy the products. You can’t email the names or descriptions of the products to yourself. You can’t take advantage of any GPS location aware functionality to see where you are in relation to any stores or outlets where you can walk in and buy products. The app exists as monument to itself with absolutely no functionality that follows it’s slick form.
Just because you can build a product, service, program or website doesn’t always mean you should. You need to work on building things that serve a purpose, solve people’s problems, and fulfill a need that people have. If you don’t you’ll be like so many other Web 2.0 companies who are now struggling for meaning and purpose and concerned about having enough “runway” VC funding.
Popularity: 15% [?]
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October 27th, 2008 at 5:38 am
What are you talking about? I’d pay at least $0.05 for that!
Maybe they are planning for amazing new features like ‘links’ and ‘buying’ later on down the road?
October 27th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Aaaagh yes, the old ad agency frenzy to dominate a new “channel”. Its not a channel godammit! Its a device that helps you do stuff!
October 27th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I’m not surprised in the least. RL is in an industry that is based on expensive appearances for no reason whatsoever. Their products serve no higher purpose or quality over lesser priced competition, they just sell a brand sewn into fabric to a weak minded insecure populace. Why would their iPhone app be anything other than a logo “sewn” onto your iPhone?
October 27th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Did Seth Godin ghostwrite this? I think this is the most valid marketing point I’ve ever heard.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
@Kyle Kinnaman: nope it’s all me
October 28th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Im currently working on a clients app for iphone, that is similar to RL, pointless, but it does seem to work, as a branding point of difference, there is a bank here in Australia, that has done a iphone app that is also, quite plain, however they are spending big money pushing this on TV as they are the only ones in the market keeping up with technology, Go for it RL, it would be good to see how many people install it
November 7th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Well, that’s the art and science of popularity. Eventhough it’s useless but it’s popular so people get craving for it. I think they could somehow connect the phone to RL databse for their style concepts.