Is Siri Consistent?

If you know me at all, then you know that I am all about the brand experience ... a consistent brand experience.  And although it seems obvious to say that the experience you create for your brand should be consistent from touchpoint to touchpoint, it's amazing that the obvious doesn't always make it to market.

I was all excited when I got my new iPhone to try out the new voice activated command system, Siri.  I'd seen all the advertising about how much time and effort it saves ... making you feel like you have your own personal assistant.  As Apple says, "Siri is the intelligent assistant that's there to help."  The information on the website is quite compelling and "state of the art."

I've got to say that the experience has not lived up to the hype nor the marketing, even with Samuel L. Jackson!  For me, Siri just doesn't work.  Not sure if it's my technique or my use of language, but it's a bust every time.  I have a friend with a British accent and it's even worse ... Siri can't figure out his accent.

It's not a big deal, really, and in fact I'm really only commenting from a marketing perspective.  In many ways I'm still a rotary kind of guy.  It's just that I got "sold" on the brand experience (sold hard) and it just has not been consistent.  The advertising pulls you in, but the product feels like it's a different brand ... at least in the case of my use of Siri.  Now the truth is that the promise of Siri is very consistent with the Apple brand experience and the marketing is beautiful.  The physical use and execution of it not so much.

The lesson learned?  I'd be thrilled with my purchase if I had not seen the advertising for Siri.  So make sure that each marketing touchpoint consistently works to help the next for a seamless experience.

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President, Cohn & Wolfe North America
Author, The Experience Effect and The Experience Effect for Small Business
Professor, NYU