It was only for an evening, but I had something set on my computer, or perhaps I was sitting in some
Google test bin, where my browser would resolve
http://www.google.com into the new Tabbed-Google offering. Yes, I was able to explicitly choose the "Classic" mode. However what struck me most was that I was directed straight to the non-classic offering. Google was peddling to me
"New Coke" and although in 1985 I wasn't any sort of Coke fanatic, I now know how those folks felt.
Simplicity in design certainly helped Google become quickly and broadly
adopted and as it now begins to age, one would think it natural from a marketing standpoint to need to freshen up the product with tasty complexities. As an example of those who need
more, my children can't stand the
less version of Google and instead like their Google page personalized and pimped up with calendar, smilies, and so forth.
The power of digital-experience-delivery is the ability to offer the same product served up infinite ways. In the New Coke vs. Classic Coke outcome, the extra cost to put both products on supermarket shelves was certainly tough to bear. Google can offer New Google, Classic Google, Google with Lime, Absynthe-Flavored Google, Lite Google, and any other imaginable flavor of Google with minimal added cost to the virtual supply chain. I guess the only cost is on the consumer's side. We get
more but inevitably we feel in the back of our mind that we might be getting
less.
If the number of resources inside the Coca Cola company doubled when it went to handling both New and Classic Coke, I could imagine that both Cokes could thrive under the same care that existed under a single Coke. Instead of doubling resources however, instead there was most likely the opportunity to build commonality of platforms to reduce cost. Like how I have a
Volvo S40 which is built upon the same platform as the
Mazda 3 as well as other models by
Ford so that Ford doesn't have to custom-build each variety from scratch and realizes internal cost savings. As an S40 owner however, I can't help but feel a bit odd when a Mazda 3 passes by me on the highway and how it's basically the same car that I paid much much more for. I feel that my mass-manufactured heap of metal is ... well ... a little bit less special.
How I got from my browser to my car is not entirely off topic as this is something I've connected
before. In summary, I like my search engine simple and I like my car to be special. Simply special. What might that mean to you?
John Maeda
