Nano is the New Turbo

Diego Rodriguez at MetaCool has an interesting and astute observation on the use of the word "Nano" in the marketing world. I'm thankful my book publisher let me title my book "Quantum Investing" instead of "Nano Investing." :)


Nano is the new Turbo

The whole "nano-as-the-ultimate-modifier" marketing thing tipped last week with the release of the iPod nano. While I don't (yet) own one of these iPods, I do own several shirts which supposedly feature a nanotechnology fabric treatment. I believe we're now going to see "nano" applied to everything from cigars to Civics. Which is fine, except that in few cases will the product actually contain, or be about, nanotechnology.

Such is the case with the iPod nano, and that is why I believe that nano is the new turbo, another technical term appropriated by marketing people and applied in so many ways as to make it meaningless.

Nothing wrong with this, of course, for the truth is all marketers are liars. But it really rankles the engineer in me. And delights the marketer in me.