Over the last few days, I’ve been seeing advertisements for curved TVs from Samsung and LG on Indian television. The LG ad talked about the number of LEDs on the screen while the Samsung ad implied that the TV would provide an immersive experience. Sadly, none of the ads were compelling.

Curved TVs are new. Since the invention of television, we have watched them on screens that were “flat”, be they CRT, rear projection, plasma, or LCD (perhaps there were other technologies but they slip my mind!). So, when I see an ad for a curved TV, the first thing that comes to mind is “gimmicky”! I wonder how many of you have a similar reaction.

Now, assuming that it is more than a gimmick, to build their brand, LG and Samsung would need to help consumers understand what’s in it for them and do so credibly. Assuming the curved TV provides a more immersive viewing experience, then this needs to be communicated along with a credible explanation of why the curvature makes the experience more immersive.

The Samsung ad conveys the immersive idea but leaves one wondering why it should be so as no effort is made to convey how and why a curved TV should produce such an experience. The LG ad falls short on all counts. Why do we care about more LEDs? More importantly, what does a higher number of LEDs have to do with the TV being curved?

It’s surprising that two leading companies in the consumer electronics space should fall so short in their efforts to communicate with the target customer. So, my two bits for the week are: when introducing something new, think about how to convey the key benefit and do so credibly!