The 6000 post challenge (was: Disappointed in Sonar 7 ad in "EQ" magazine)

Now I am intrigued. I have not seen the ad, but whatever it says it is certainly being noticed (positively or negatively)!

I havent seen it.. But if was that bad.. Why did EQ magazine approve it for publishing? Do they not review or advertise Digidesign products??? Do they have a deal with Cakewalk??

Not word-for-word....but the ad basically says.....

"You have to use Pro-Tools to deliver a product that will compete, right?"

then it reads....

"Get Real. Sonar 7"

And the photo shows a dude sitting at a conference table at what looks like a corporate meeting. He's also got a lap-top open, all while he's grinning at the camera.

Something like that anyway.

Max,

I'm sorry you did not appreciate our new SONAR 7 ad. Thanks for letting us know your thoughts abaout it.

Let me explain what we were trying to do with this ad.

Even though our products are superior, Pro Tools is the market leader. A common marketing practice is for the company that holds the number 2 market position to launch attacks on the company in the number one slot. The ad was meant in a tounge in cheek manner, to poke fun at one of the myths surrounding Pro Tools. This is not unlike the type of advertising you will see Apple doing against PCs for instance.

When I use the word myth, I mean it literally. The alternate ad campaign direction that you suggested is a very rational one. We've taken the high road for years with exactly the type of marketing that you described. Unfortunately, a good percentage of the populace does not always respond to purely rational-based marketing. If they did, I feel confident that they would choose SONAR over Pro Tools, or they would choose Nuendo, Logic, or Digital Performer if they used a Mac.

So, we decided to mix things up a bit to try and reach some new people with an ad that was very different from what you would typically find in music technology publications. We were prepared for a little controversy. The ad wasn't designed to speak to you. You already have SONAR, and we can speak to you directly through our emails, website, or right here on the forums. My appologies if you found it offensive. We really intended it to just be fun.

Please let me know if you have any other concerns or questions.

Best regards,

Carl Jacobson
Marketing Director
Cakewalk

A screen shot of this thread would also make a great ad.

How many times do you suppose the Marketing Director of PT would personally answer a question about an advertisement on an open forum within an hour of the original post!!

Our Cakewalk team frikkin' RULES!!

Carl if your still there. Im still refreshing the Cakewalk Homepage every 2 minutes... My eyes, hand, and mind are getting tired..!

Class act... that Cakewalk.

Cheap shot at PT?

Maybe.

Having a bit of fun at Digi's expense?

Definitely.

Cakewalk spotting and addressing your concerns here on a public forum?

PRICELESS.

ORIGINAL: Marketing [Cakewalk]
... Maybe you should give your hand a break for awhile, or at least use it for something else.

:-)

beat you na na na na na

Sounds like payback for every time I've heard Cakewalk referred to as "a toy" by those who think it's PT or nothing.

ORIGINAL: mlockett

ORIGINAL: artsoul

beat you na na na na na

I'll have to be quicker next time.

yup

I haven't read the ad, but if it's as tame as skullsession describes, I wouldn't call it a cheap shot.

Will it be very effective? Not as long as professionals remain convinced that the MAC is the only platform that can be used to create anything worthy. Vista isn't helping. Microsoft would have to launch their own MAC vs. PC campaign.

Or maybe CW could launch it for them.

ORIGINAL: Marketing [Cakewalk]

Max,

I'm sorry you did not appreciate our new SONAR 7 ad. Thanks for letting us know your thoughts abaout it.

Let me explain what we were trying to do with this ad.

Even though our products are superior, Pro Tools is the market leader. A common marketing practice is for the company that holds the number 2 market position to launch attacks on the company in the number one slot. The ad was meant in a tounge in cheek manner, to poke fun at one of the myths surrounding Pro Tools. This is not unlike the type of advertising you will see Apple doing against PCs for instance.

When I use the word myth, I mean it literally. The alternate ad campaign direction that you suggested is a very rational one. We've taken the high road for years with exactly the type of marketing that you described. Unfortunately, a good percentage of the populace does not always respond to purely rational-based marketing. If they did, I feel confident that they would choose SONAR over Pro Tools, or they would choose Nuendo, Logic, or Digital Performer if they used a Mac.

So, we decided to mix things up a bit to try and reach some new people with an ad that was very different from what you would typically find in music technology publications. We were prepared for a little controversy. The ad wasn't designed to speak to you. You already have SONAR, and we can speak to you directly through our emails, website, or right here on the forums. My appologies if you found it offensive. We really intended it to just be fun.

Please let me know if you have any other concerns or questions.

Best regards,

Carl Jacobson
Marketing Director
Cakewalk

Actually, the ad kind of reminds me of my run-in with a Guitar Satan customer a year or so ago which I posted about here in the forums (search for the thread!) and you guys (Cakewalk Marketing) sent me some goodies for being such a good PR "tool" as it were. Basically, I overheard the GS customer service reps (sales team) giving a customer a line that Pro Tools was the only way to go, I took the customer aside as they went "in the back" to see if they had the 6500 buck package they were working on convincing him that he needed to produce any "real" music, and I told him that they weren't giving him the whole truth, and that he should check out SONAR. Anyways, sounds close enough that maybe Cakewalk should consider compensating me by sending me something awesome like a SONAR bookmark or something?



Anyways, I personally think the ad wasn't delivered in a clever enough way, but I was not "offended" by it, as someone mentioned they were. I think that by utilizing such an marketing campaign, you're basically acknowledging to the world that your *not* number one, and that you're more concerned about putting down the other product rather than promoting your own product.

-mr moon

Edit: spelling

Tired of the dongle? Spend time on music not authorizations.
Simple and to the point.
It could be a good ad. I'm sure there is plenty to advertize in S7!

Max Arwood

ORIGINAL: Dizzi45Z

Honestly, I didn't really get what the ad was trying to get across. Skullsessions post above makes much more sense.

The actual ad reads: "Pro Tools is everything I need to make a hit record, Dawg!" across the top and then half way down it reads "Get Real" Line under that reads "Sonar 7", Then it has a bunch of bullets that lists all of the new features for Sonar 7....At least my magazine does. But my magazine is a special print EQ magazine, so yours probably just says basic stuff that doesn't give any new features away for Sonar 7.

So those features are at least somewhat in the public domain.

What are those features?