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September 24, 2008
Energy vs. quality
Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, who sold 3 million copies of her album "Solitude Standing," on what it takes to create a hit:
Raw energy and great ideas spark the public interest better than attention to 'quality.'
So true when it comes to (many) new products and services.
Other blogs that reference Energy vs. quality:
Hmm I'd say energy & raw ideas MAKE something "quality".
unless you're talking about a car...
Good stuff, Ben. In the musical world, I often think of the overproduced pap released by wave upon wave of meaningless pop wannabes, versus the visceral, meaningful, underproduced works of, say, early Bob Dylan, or The White Stripes today.
I think the same thing happens more often in business than we'd like to admit: it's emotionally easier to do something slick and "professional" -- in other words, blameless -- than to put your guts into a project and take some risks with it.
We just did this work on brands with energy through our database, Brand Asset Valuator and Columbia. And the greater the energy a brand has, the greater the pricing power, loyalty, usage and preference. In our study, Miley Cyrus is a high energy brand, and can attest that my 5 year old daughter Nina thinks its quality.
Also observe how this "raw energy" transcends words and talk, which sounds nice on paper (or spoken) but fails to get further action done. Other media which are abstract to the un-understanding but additional channels of communication, including music, are used to great effect.
People can far easier reference energy than exhibit it.
It's like going on a sensory trip (not necessarily drugs) at a beautiful concert but trying to describe it afterwards... it really pales.
Like they say, "You had to be there!"
Nick: Guess it depends on how quality is defined. For instance, "Blair Witch Project" was a great movie idea with plenty of raw energy, but it was barely watchable (and yet was seen by a lot of people). A paradox, I suppose.
Fermata: Very true. I would say this idea doesn't apply to everything, especially things that require a high level of precision engineering. However, the Tesla electric car has plenty of raw energy behind it and seems to be building a fervent following.
Tim: You nailed it. I think it all extends back to courage. The courage to do something different *and* put it out there.
John: Sounds like an interesting approach. Can you share the study with us?
Torley: Heh! I know exactly what you mean. It's like how I felt after seeing the first "Matrix" movie. The best explanation I could muster was: "You just have to see it. Trust me."
