Why I don’t find Apple’s Holiday iPhone Ad Very Heartwarming At All

Wow. Clearly an iPhone is all we need to come out of our shell and add a lot of warmth and cheer to our holiday? Guess I’m missing it.

Watching the ad, I couldn’t help but think, ‘just put the damn phone down and get on the sled.’ How else can you know what it’s like to sled? With our brothers and sisters? Together? During a holiday? Not by watching it on a video.

I can’t help but think that more and more, we are mistaking ‘watching’ for ‘experiencing.’ When my son or daughter performs, everyone expects me to get it on video. And yeah, clearly, I want to have it to watch again later. But what I really want to do is be THERE when they perform. I want to see their expressions, hear the music and experience the moment. See them muster the courage. Feel them pouring their little hearts out for a live audience. Sense the audience reacting to their music. Sitting there with a phone between me and my children’s live performance just sucks.

The same happens in business. It’s one thing to look at a screen that shows you the data report that tells you everything that happened that day. The Board loves that shit. The media loves that shit. And yes, it helps you make decisions about the business moving forward. But it’s completely another thing to sit next to a customer and really understand how they feel when they use your product or service. Hearing how they explain how much your product or service helps them. Sensing their frustrations.

That’s about a real experience, not just watching data. That’s where the nuance lies. That’s where the hidden value or the deep insight lives. That’s where business-changing discoveries are revealed.

So yes, an iPhone can help you create really cool vids and share experiences of others. And don’t misunderstand, I love having that tool at easy reach, but sometimes, its better to just put the damn thing down and experience things for the treasures they are.

I think Louis CK says it best. (Warning: NSFW)

 
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