For AOL, User Experience is no longer the Value Proposition. It's the base line.
[ Posted by Dan on December 03, 2002 | 0 Comments ]

today said it will focus on bringing exclusive content to paying cutomers via the AOL service. That content will likely from time Warner properties and be on the order of special 'Friends' videos and exclusive tracks from pop stars. However, the commercials coming out of AOL are all still about the user experience. This is a waste of time to continue advertising ease of use as the value of the service.

If AOL expects to broadband users to shell over $15/month on top of their cable/ADSL service, they better get on the ball and tell everyone why that cost is worth it. I work at AOL and I didn't even know about some of the recent exclusive content that is available from the service (ie, that Friends thing I mentioned above). I know at the core of my being that AOL is supposed to be easy to use. This message has been beaten into my head by zillions of middle class looking commercial actors. It's time to leave the assumed as assumable, and move on to VALUE that I can't get elsewhere.

MSN is easy to use. AOL is easy to use. The user experience being acceptable and, dare I say, "robust" is what I expect to find in an online service now. If I buy a car, I expect it will have wheels. If I but a TV, I expect it to have a remote control.

$15/month for access to content is a HIGH price. I pay less than that for HBO, or for my subscription to Wired. I pay less than that monthly for the movies I see at theatre (eg, Harry Potter and The Two Towers (both AOL Time Warner properties)). I need to see commercials, on TV, during Friends, showing me things I really want to see and are worth $15/month. Until then, I have my doubts about the new plan.

 

Comment posting has been turned off because I don't have enough time and will to deal with the constant comment spamming. I'm very sorry and will fix this sometime soon (soon = before 2004 ends).