[gcl2]

Honestly, this myopic view of the ad world is why there is such a disconnect between our industry and the ad industry.

While the normal computer engineer/entrepreneur is far too 'sophisticated' to have a personal connection with a brand, there are 'real-world' people that do have connections. It's not the cheap "let me play this memory game on their FB page" connection, but a deeper connection.

There are people who feel for brands like Khan Academy and what they're doing for education, there are couples who have a soft spot for their local restaurant where the guy proposed to the girl, there are even families that fondly remember their first beat-up Honda that was reliable through thick and thin.

Sure, we may not have these deep connections given our fast paced lives, but please realize that there are others who do have human feelings for non-human entities that have made their lives better.

[gravitronic]

Very funny that you suggest computing enthusiasts are not subject to personal connections with brands. The phrase "fan boy" was essentially created within the technology domain.

[sjs]

I thought it started in comics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_(person)#Fanboy.2Ffangirl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanboy_(comics)

[zmj]

There's a similar problem in psychology. Tell someone about the bystander effect or scope neglect, and they'll agree that it's neat but not that it could possibly apply to them.

Advertising works. At some point, engineers will practice what they preach and look at the data.

[natrius]

I think his objection is to the wording, not the concept.