I am not a marketing weenie, but to me, the idea that needs to be communicated should be that more bits of information and (more importantly) the associations between those bits of information is becoming more available. This opens up the potential for critical analysis to understand parts of process and make better (or maybe it is just faster?) decisions. Of course the overall value of those “better” decisions are as suspect as the weight assigned those bits (the agenda).

I thought (for a second) microsoft “got it” with their “one degree of separation” ads, but I did not see it reflected in their products.

I agree with you comment about the personal nature of the message as opposed to making it appeal to a non human corporate entity.

The business made simple catch phrase is fine but in my mind ,limits the potential and meaning of where I think Nortel wants to go with the “Hyperconnectivity” marketing push.

The idea is let “Hyperconnectivity” represent the potential it holds for human interaction as opposed to business interaction.

Cisco appears to be aware of this concept with their “the human network” catch phrase ads running in various media.

Nortel is on the right track with respect to their hyperconnectivity push,but they need to tweak it and have it carry a more personal( human to human) representation.

Business marketing is a language,but marketing aimed at the human psyche is far more reaching and has a much better chance of conveying what the intent and potential behind Nortel’s “Hyperconnectivity” intentions are.

Marketing is everything- just ask the people behind Mc Donalds restaurants.

Nortel’s DNA is historically attentative to the carrier segment,bland and stodgy but practical and reassuring in technological terms,but is of no appeal to the consumer side.

Teach people on a personal level what the potential holds behind in Nortel’s case the “Hyperconnectivity” concept first rather than the “business made simple” pitch, as it impulsively bounds the marketing aimed at the business community, when in fact hyperconnectivity has unlimted potential covering all aspects of human interaction.

Nortel’s PR would do well to realign their marketing concepts on a more personal level first and foremost followed by awareness in the various applications in which they could be used such as in personal, business, commercial uses and the respective benefits the bring to each market.

or how about

“You buy our stuff, you will spend less time on hold with tech support than the other guys”

or one more

“You don’t see our phones in many TV shows, but Cisco uses them in their call centers.”

I believe that comments are aimed at nortel being a mile wide and an inch deep. Their marketing slogans are just that, there is no follow through. They do not understand market channels, they don’t play particularly nicely with other vendors (as they must, not being the big dog). their divisions and sales compete with one another. I would agree, unless they get their act together with more than slogans they are doomed to die a death of ten thousand cuts.

“Beyond Boundaries” (entertaining this was the slogan before the bonus-gate fraud)

“this is the way” (was more for lemmings after the fraud)

Instead of “business made simple”, how about “business made stupid” instead with their endless failed gambles and sold assets.

No one knows what their product groups have been doing for the last half decade. Their unreliable numbers furnished refinancing, and a reverse split rally rally to boot that normally tanks over 75% of stocks let alone those in their position. A laughing stock, an Enron/Worldcom on steroids with government and regulatory blessings. I am dying to hear their new slogan, they gotta stop, they’re killin me, my ribs hurt .

Ya “business made simple”, zero means zero… zero profit for a decade since triple their current size. Even their longest term stock chart over decades comparatively makes savings rates look like bonanza returns.

“We bring drama to networking”
subtext:
“buy our products or we’ll grab you by the face”
or
“hyperconnectivity; there are decaffeinated networks that work just as well”
subtext:
“who needs access?”
or
Business made as simple as possible, but no simpler.