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What you should probably know
Last week at IFA 2024, Acer unveiled itsNitro V 14gaming laptop.
When Acer announced the Nitro V 14, the company labeled the PC as one designed for women.
Acer framing the Nitro V 14 as a gaming laptop for “women and casual gamers” caused controversy.
I don’t understand, however, why the laptop was described as for women and casual gamers.
It seems I’m not alone.
Our sibling site,Laptop Mag, has an exclusive piece breaking down the Acer Nitro V 14 announcement.
The white design of the Nitro V 14 is “beautiful” and “elegant,” according to Acer.
The outlet spoke with Eric Ackerson, Associate Director of Product Marketing at Acer, about the announcement.
Despite working at Acer, Ackerson strongly disapproved of how Acer framed the laptop.
Marketing challenges
Marketing is more complicated than it appears at first glance.
Razer has made pretty laptops in the past but did not limit its marketing to a specific group of shoppers.
I’ve worked in marketing in the past and also speak with PR and marketing folks regularly.
Often, you have to be willing to be bold to succeed in marketing.
As a result, campaigns will see mixed results and sometimes prove controversial.
There were issues other than marketing, but the slogan didn’t help.
Indeed, in the PC space, this marketing isn’t novel, at least for Eastern markets.
I suppose Acer could have made things worse by including a bunch of stereotypes in its laptop designs.
Kudos for avoiding cliches.
I’m all in favor of more colorful gaming laptops.
Way too many PCs are limited to gray or black.
I’m admittedly confused by the apparent need to label a laptop as for women.
Other companies doing it better
Acer isn’t the first company to make a pretty laptop.
“STYLED TO STAND OUT,” reads Razer’s website.
“For those built to be bold, there’s no better way to make a statement.
Explore our beloved Razer Quartz collection and experience its appeal for yourself.”
ASUS partnered with fashion designer Anna Sui to design a laptop with a built-in air freshener.
