OCZ's "Viral/Hype/Buzz" Marketing

[Mr Fox]

OCZ has always been Strong on "Marketing, Hype, and Buzz".....

All three elements Set off my Bull Feces Detector.... In a big way.

They are One of the Best/Worst Example of Viral Marketing in Computer Components.


As you will recall OCZ "Cryo Z" a Phase Change CPU Cooling Unit was Hyped at CES 2006 In January 2006.... to be a $300.00 Phase change CPU cooler.

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/282/1/

http://www.futurelooks.com/?m=show&id=251

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/377


"Chilly One"The Thermal Engineer from ExtremeSystems was Hired by OCZ to Assist with the Design is Now Broke, and I'm not sure what happened between them.. But If OCZ comes to Market.... OCZ stole the Design from Chilly One. I'm sure that it was Supposed to be Paid off in Royalties... that as long as it does not sell that they Do Not have to pay...


This Unit was supposed to have been Released in March 2006.

9 Months Later..... this Product is Still Vaporware


http://www.legitreviews.com/article/401/2/


Bull Feces such as this..... is the Hype that sells your other Products...


It keeps you in the News, and Drives sales of your Marginal Products as "Enthusiast Gear".

_________________________________________________________________________________________________


Then there is the No Silver in the Silver Paste (Busted by SilverSinkSam):

http://www.overclockers.com/articles938/

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Latest Example of OCZ Marketing Crapola ....

Hard OCP has an OCZ Ad that is a good Example of Their Marketing Hype.

OCZ 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory (ATI CrossFire Certified)

Last Week Friday i sent this to Kyle Bennett C.E.O. HardOCP :

_________________________________________________________________________________________________


Kyle :

You have an Ad that is an OCZ created copy ad that States that OCZ?s memory

?Delivers Stunning Visual Experience & High Performance for Gamers?

As you well know OCZ?s memory does not have anything to do with the Video Sub-System in regard to rendering. That is all in Vram and GPU?s

Could you please work with OCZ to get this corrected, as it is long on Marketing, and Very Short on Truth.

Thank you for your attention on this matter? it will send a message to OCZ also in regard to ethical marketing behavior?.


Mr. Fox


Attachment : OCZ ad Screen Shot


Screenshot :

http://img174.imageshack.us/my.php?image=oczatiya6.jpg



This Was Kyle's reply :



RE: OCZ/ATI/ZZF Ad

Forwarded to OCZ marketing. Your points are fully valid IMO.



___________

Kyle Bennett

KB Networks, Inc.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Mr Fox
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 4:35 PM
To: kyle bennett
Subject: OCZ/ATI/ZZF Ad



Have A Great Day !!





Attachments : Kyle Bennett.doc, OCZ-ATI.JPG

__________________________________________________________________________________



This Ad Also is on the Front page of AT.... and it has already been Corrected.


Edit : This ad also Exists on OCZ's Support Forums :

Screenshot : http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ocztdpb9.jpg

The Actual Webpage Resides Here :

http://www.bleedinedgesupport.com/ocz/forum/index.php


THESE ADS ARE DECEPTIVE AND NEED CORRECTION EVERYWHERE THEY EXIST.....!!!


OCZ ... You are trying to Market to the Enthusiast Market... These Ads are a Rectal Extraction.....


What kind message do you think that this Sends To Potential Customers ??



That is why I deal with OCZ at Arm's Length...

The Moral of the story... always be Skeptical of "Hype/Buzz/Viral Marketing"

 

[theprodigalrebel]

Uh, I don't get your point.
Companies announce products, then they get delayed or due to manufacturing difficulties, cancel them. Maybe building the phase change cooler was costing too much for them to be able to sell it at a decent profit (i.e. maintaining a reasonable, competitive price).

No harm there.

As for the Crossfire certified memory, OCZ isn't wrong in saying that 'good memory can enhance your performance'. Crucial has an ad that says, "Say goodbye to BSODs" - which is true because a lot of Blue Screens ARE caused by faulty memory.

OCZ is promising quality memory and has fancy red heatspreaders with the ATi logo to appeal to people who like fancy heatspreaders. Corsair has the Dominator line - and exactly how often do you hear of people's memory overheating? I don't know the details of the ATI Crossfire certification but maybe it means the memory has been tested with all Crossfire motherboards and found to operate correctly?

It's marketing - and I don't see anything malicious in the ad. You make it sound like the next big ruckus since Enron.

Edit: The people who buy OCZ are all in the retail channel (i.e. custom builders). I know this is not the point of your post but I just thought I should mention that the typical OCZ customer KNOWS that memory isn't going to enhance Visual Quality. But yes, OCZ can run an ad that makes the promise ?Delivers Stunning Visual Experience & High Performance for Gamers? because more memory quantity and bandwidth DOES help video gaming. More memory means larger resolutions and textures (without hitching ala BF2, Oblivion or FEAR) and that adds to the Visual Experience.

I am surprised Kyle of HardOCP thought the ad was malicious.

 

[Xed]

Why did you feel the need to repost this in it's own thread?

I'm starting to think of you as the Jack Thompson of the AT forums.

 

[Mr Fox]

Originally posted by: theprodigalrebel
Uh, I don't get your point.
Companies announce products, then they get delayed or due to manufacturing difficulties, cancel them. Maybe building the phase change cooler was costing too much for them to be able to sell it at a decent profit (i.e. maintaining a reasonable, competitive price).

No harm there.

As for the Crossfire certified memory, OCZ isn't wrong in saying that 'good memory can enhance your performance'. Crucial has an ad that says, "Say goodbye to BSODs" - which is true because a lot of Blue Screens ARE caused by faulty memory.

OCZ is promising quality memory and has fancy red heatspreaders with the ATi logo to appeal to people who like fancy heatspreaders. Corsair has the Dominator line - and exactly how often do you hear of people's memory overheating? I don't know the details of the ATI Crossfire certification but maybe it means the memory has been tested with all Crossfire motherboards and found to operate correctly?

It's marketing - and I don't see anything malicious in the ad. You make it sound like the next big ruckus since Enron.

Edit: The people who buy OCZ are all in the retail channel (i.e. custom builders). I know this is not the point of your post but I just thought I should mention that the typical OCZ customer KNOWS that memory isn't going to enhance Visual Quality. But yes, OCZ can run an ad that makes the promise ?Delivers Stunning Visual Experience & High Performance for Gamers? because more memory quantity and bandwidth DOES help video gaming. More memory means larger resolutions and textures (without hitching ala BF2, Oblivion or FEAR) and that adds to the Visual Experience.

I am surprised Kyle of HardOCP thought the ad was malicious.

JEDEC is the Interoperabilty standard that applies to system Memory.

Any JEDEC Compliant System RAM regardless of Branding can Fill that Bill...
and as Long as the Timings are apples for apples... there will be minor differences between the Sets.... But nothing earthshaking

Yes..... System Memory does effect the general operation of the system as a whole.

But this particular flavor of memory uses Micron D9..... so any JEDEC member using Micron D9 at the same 4-4-4-12 timings will be comparable.

That part of the Discussion Ends there.

Video Rendering quality is derived Primarily from On Card GDDR3 Vram Performance, and GPU performance.

Yes the Health of the Total System effects the overall linearity of a given system... but has little to do with Actual Rendering and Visualization Sub System.

There is Nothing Proprietary here...... only Tested Compatability.

OCZ'z Boasts are Crapola... another method of attempting to Justify $320.00 For "Neat Red Heatspreaders"

You can buy the Same Chips from a JEDEC member using the same D9's starting at $ 260.00

$ 60.00 For "Neat Red Heatspreaders" OCZ must belive the gamer/enthusiast market to be Morons.

Originally posted by: Xed
Why did you feel the need to repost this in it's own thread?


So as not to Thread Crap with the other Thread.


I'm starting to think of you as the Jack Thompson of the AT forums.

Because maybe it might get it Fixed....


Time for you to go to the Gas Chamber..... Baa Baa

 

[theprodigalrebel]

They didn't say "Visual Rendering Quality", they said "Visual Experience"
---More memory (2GB) means larger textures at higher resolutions with no stutter (eg. going from 1GB to 2GB in BF2)

Can't blame OCZ there. They have a point - they just put it cleverly (as all advertising does).

There are dozens of DDR2 sets that operate at DDR2 800 with 4-4-4-12 timings. Some overclock to 1000MHz at the same timings, some don't break 850 even with 5-5-5-15. Some don't like anything more than 2.0V, some take more than 2.4V. Not all DDR2 800 memory is created equal. I imagine these are the cherry-picked uber-line of memory that OCZ offers. And we have all heard of various DDR2 memory/motherboard incompatibilities, haven't we? I still am not sure about this but I imagine these modules are tested with all Crossfire motherboards to ensure smooth operation?

I am not saying I am all over this or need to spend an extra 60 bucks for peace of mind: I just need to Google a Motherboard's name along with a Memory Kit's name to find a forum thread where someone is running that combination. What I'm saying here, is that OCZ is just marketing something harmlessly (they also have the XTC and Special Ops Camouflage heatspreaders) and trying to make it stand out and look unique. If it works, fine. If the ad doesn't work, who cares. They will drop prices and offer rebates like everyone else does.

I do NOT see the Viral Marketing. Hype and Buzz is fine but Viral is too negative and incorrect a word. And the Gas Chamber comment does not go well around here. This is the technical section, not Off Topic or P&N.

On second thought, I think I will sue David Beckham and Adidas because the commercial suggested I could play soccer just like him after I bought a pair.

 

[Xed]

Originally posted by: Mr Fox

Time for you to go to the Gas Chamber..... Baa Baa

Right..because I ran right out and bought some...oh wait.

Thanks for proving my point.

 

[Perce]

Jack Thompson ? Who is that? LOL As for OCZ, their products that they do produce work well

 

[ryderOCZ]

...

 

[lamere]

"marketing is the science of arresting one's mind long enough to take money from it"

 

[Atheus]

Not only OCZ does this, it's unfair to pick on them IMO. Have you seen the 'supported memory' lists for motherboards? You would be amazed how many people think the specific brands listed are the only ones that will work! Of course any DDR will work in a DDR board.

 

[SteveOCZ]

Originally posted by: Atheus
Not only OCZ does this, it's unfair to pick on them IMO. Have you seen the 'supported memory' lists for motherboards? You would be amazed how many people think the specific brands listed are the only ones that will work! Of course any DDR will work in a DDR board.

Anyone can get on that list if they have enough $$$

 

[JohnAn2112]

How is this different than when Corsair released "SLI ready memory" last year?

Mr Fox, you didn't post a thread about how Corsair is mis-leading the public when they released this. Maybe you just have a natural hate for OCZ though I can't see why you would when they offer much better support than any other memory manufacturer on the market. Quit spamming the AT forums, troll. :disgust:

 

[azandertt]

Hi guys, let me identify myself as an employee of OCZ. First of all thanks for everyone's comments. We are always looking at ways to improve both our products and our messaging. The ATi promotion we worked on side by side with ATi. We are trying to provide a total solutions for ATi fans.

I did talk to Kyle and I understand where you (Mr. Fox) are coming from and made changes to our campaign. Our goal is to let consumers know we have products that are designed for specific consumers. Whether that be ATi fans, Nvidia fans, or enthusiasts.

I do appreciate the feedback, good or bad, it helps us better service our customers. For us marketing is about working closely with the platform providers for better performance, stability, and compatibility. Then introducing the product and letting comsumers know the features of the product. Then following up with customer support to ensure cusomers have a positive experience with the solution.

 

[LifeStealer]

I've never had any problems with OCZ, the OCZ products I have owned that went bad were replaced quickly and have ran well ever since. I can't say that for some of the other manufactures that I have bought from. If you're only buying products because of banner ads then you need more help than OCZ changing the ad. There was nothing wrong with it, assuming you don't put that much thought into it.

I personally think OCZ is crazy for coming out with a phase change kit thats actually affordable. Do you have any idea as to the number of things that could go wrong with it? That thing will be a support nightmare, mark my words. Maybe thats why there is a delay.

The point is, if OCZ customers aren't mad at OCZ you have no reason to be. You think OCZ, or anyone else for that matter is going to explain the specific ins and outs of a product on a banner ad? Its supposed to be eye catching, not an IS course.

 

[Twsmit]

Their marketing is just that.. marketing. They are selling the absolute best case scenario benefits of their product.

I think their ad is laughable, but not malicious. For instance in BF2, the game requires 2GB of ram to be played smoothly. Upgrading to high performance 2GB OCZ will allow you to up the video details to highest and allow for a smoother and graphically enhanced experience. Run BF2 with 512MB ram and you will need to drop down the graphics detail and probably take a performance hit/ have massive swapping to the harddrive.

Now the ads are probably targeted at the lesser informed enthusiast, but there are many cases where using OCZ performance ram you will get a graphics increase. Now 2GB of OCZ vs 2GB of Corsair might not offer much of a difference, but faster timings = more performance and anyone with 512 or 1GB of ram will see alot of improvement upgrading.... thats exactly what the ad is saying.

 

[Noubourne]

It's advertising. All companies do it.

Mr Fox has never posted anything that resembled Common Sense.

If there's anything about OCZ as a company to get peeved about, it's their recent partnership with the great big evil - WalMart. I hope they made a buttload of cash, because my 4 years of OCZ patronage is now in serious danger.

I may decide to go OCZ (from a different retailer for sure) simply because so many tech products are manufactured in China which is pretty much the WalMart of the world as far as worker's rights are concerned, but it won't be an automatic buy like it was in years past. I'm not sure I have to purchase from a company that supports WalMart and their practices, so I won't if I don't have to.

 

[SparkyJJO]

"SLI certified" or "crossfire certified" is a bunch of crap. Besides, my RAM I have right now has cool red heatspreaders anyway

And walmart isn't "the great big evil" - not saying they are perfect but they aren't evil either. If K-mart or Target was the one on top everyone would bash them instead

 

[BladeVenom]

Mr Fox, why not get a tube of OCZ thermal paste and see if it has silver in it now. That review is over 2 years old. OCZ was suppose to have improved their image a few years ago when there were some complaints of alleged scandal. The test is simple, any chemist or jeweler can perform it.

 

[ryderOCZ]

OCZ thermal paste is now AS5 and has been for almost 2 years.

We also recalled everything based on that review.

 

[LifeStealer]

Look look, the obvious resolution to this whole problem is to send me OCZ stuff to review. I alone shall put myself out and test it to once and for all quell any rumors of bad OCZ products!

 

[JohnAn2112]

Originally posted by: LifeStealer
Look look, the obvious resolution to this whole problem is to send me OCZ stuff to review. I alone shall put myself out and test it to once and for all quell any rumors of bad OCZ products!

LifeStealer, I'm glad that someone is willing to take up the hard task to end this discussion once and for all!

:laugh:

 

[LifeStealer]

I'm a martyr, I know.

 

[Mr Fox]

Originally posted by: azandertt
Hi guys, let me identify myself as an employee of OCZ. First of all thanks for everyone's comments. We are always looking at ways to improve both our products and our messaging. The ATi promotion we worked on side by side with ATi. We are trying to provide a total solutions for ATi fans.

I did talk to Kyle and I understand where you (Mr. Fox) are coming from and made changes to our campaign. Our goal is to let consumers know we have products that are designed for specific consumers. Whether that be ATi fans, Nvidia fans, or enthusiasts.

I do appreciate the feedback, good or bad, it helps us better service our customers. For us marketing is about working closely with the platform providers for better performance, stability, and compatibility. Then introducing the product and letting comsumers know the features of the product. Then following up with customer support to ensure cusomers have a positive experience with the solution.

Alex:

Thank you for your attention in this Matter !!

With that in mind ... what is your timeline to correction ? and how will you assure that all ads are " Cleaned up ? "



A follow-up on the Cryo Z would be a good way of further communicating that information to your potential customers.

There is an Open Thread asking that question on your Forums.. It would go miles to your overall credibility as a Company, if the Information was shared in a way other than word of mouth.

Thank you again !

 

[azandertt]

Its no problem, its always a pleasure talking with consumers, whatever the concerns may be. I posted in another thread but becuase this one addresses the ads directly I'll add in again:

The text in the ads are from the partner promotion. This is straight off AMD/ATi's site:

"Cross over to the ultimate visual experience ? ensure your gaming PC runs with ATI CrossFire Certified components."

http://ati.amd.com/technology/crossfire/certified.html

We have actually migrated over to a new campaign already and banners have already been sent to all sites. Just waiting on everyone to update now.

In regards to the Cryo-Z, this product was never officially launched. The only press out there are from media that saw the product at our CES and Cebit technology showcase or came to visit the work in progress in our labs. As the marketing guy, I wish we could have launched this product long ago, but I leave it to engineering to determine when it is ready for primetime.

I can tell you that samples of this forth pilot run build have all been sent to beta testers, and media are recieving samples to beat up on next week. If all looks good with this pilot run then we are looking good for a December mass production. But, like I mentioned before the engineers wont green light this or any other OCZ product for me to PR and launch until they feel it is totally ready.

Thank you again, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and everyone on the AT forums.

 

[nweaver]

I'm a bit miffed...when I buy a product labeled as "DDR2-800" I don't expect "DDR2 that will run at 800 if you apply nonstandard voltages" like I'm getting now....

Although, thus far, support has been pretty good....lets just see if OCZ makes this one right...as it is, I have to run my memory at 667 or the box fails to POST.