Its a pair of glasses for people who actually don't wear glasses that is not just a video camera it has a built in GPS and you can put Google searches. Is like having a computer right in front of your face all the time. Is it just me or anyone else thought this is a bazar thing to explain to an average consumer who never imagined well... wearing a computer on their face?
With $1,500 price tag and an invisible screen that hover over your peripheral vision it is a lengthy explanation for an average user who carry a cell phone that can do most of the things Google Glass seems to be able to do. To add to the challenge, Google does not have a retail chain that customers can touch, feel the product and have the Google Glass staff explain the product to them. So, Google turned to the groundswell. Now you can bet Google's strategy to engage with the groundswell ties very closely with our text book, Groundswell: Winning the World Transformed by Social Technologies.
1. Embracing the Customer.
So, Google Glass created the Explorer Program in the Glass website to get people involved in the innovation process of the beta product.
2. Energizing the Customer
The book recognize "energizing" as a word of mouth - "the most honest form of marketing, building upon people's natural desire to share their experience with family, friends, and colleagues". Glass certainly used the Explorer program as an avenue to let people, mostly tech video bloggers review the product and share their thoughts with the masses. It creates an opportunity for Google, Glass Developers and people to recognize how the Glass being used. Second, it created the buzz around the product and finally, it gave an opportunity for people to hear from average user instead of Google's marketing team (or Mullen advertising agency).
This is one of the Glass reviews,
Google Glass Twitter and website are constantly in touch with the Glass community re-tweeting about the Glass community engagements and sharing Explorer stories via their website.
Because Google already managed to create an online community around the Glass, it would be great if Glass app development has the same democracy. May be Google can use the same social media channels to have a Google apps ranking method on Twitter or Facebook and/or create an easy online channel between developers and the users to come up with Glass app ideas. After all like IPod and iTunes, most hardware depends on value and the pertinence of the software.
The retail version of the Google Glass is due to release this year. It is a product that is born out of Google but brewed in the groundswell. So, I for one is curious how it's going to taste like.
